APRIL-JUNE/1978

No, but it would go a long way in that direction. Put it together with

this quarter's Sabbath School lessons and you'll have the basis for

righteousness by faith.

It is no secret among our friends, or among our critics either, that the

subject of

righteous-

ness by faith

is at pres-

ent enjoying a deep

and fervent considera-

tion in the ranks of

thoughtful Christians

everywhere.

The greatest aids to

the explanation of

such terms as justifica-

tion and sanctification

are found in a close

study of the simple ob-

ject lessons used by

our Lord, and this is

where Gordon Hyde

has contributed his

best thoughts through

the pages of this book.

It is when the profound

is placed in a simple

setting that the un-

learned and the

scholar both stand in

amazement.

This very readable and

interesting treatise is designed to introduce every reader to an expe-

riential knowledge of the grace of Christ.

RAGS TO RIGHTEOUSNESS

by Gordon Hyde.

Available now for

$3.50

at your Adventist Book Center.

Brought to you by Pacific Press Publishing Association.

GENERAL CONFERENCE OF SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS

7 40-4444liaitivt

P.O. BOX H.G. 100. HIGHLANDS. SALISBURY. RHODESIA. AFRICA

RI L. MILLS. PRESIDENT

R. E. CLIFFORD. SECRETARY

N. S. MUSGRAYE. TREASURER

A. N. AUSTEN., FIELD SECRETARY

Dear Fellow Sabbath School Members around the World:

The Trans-Africa Division wishes to thank all the members of the world

Sabbath School for their generous support of the Thirteenth Sabbath

Special Project Offering, taken on March 27, 1976. As a result we have

upgraded the physical plant and expanded the academic program of our

secondary school at Inyazura, Rhodesia. This is one of our feeder schools

for Solusi College. The offering also made it possible to plan definitely

for the erection of new church buildings in the capital cities of the

developing homelands in the Southern Union. This tangible evidence of

your concern fdr, and interest in these specific projects has brought

great rejoicing to the hearts of both laity and workers.

Now we are eagerly anticipating your support in the Thirteenth Sabbath

Special Project Offering which has been designated for our Division and

which will be received on June 24 of this quarter. Judging from your

past loyalty and generous gifts we feel confident that this will be

another major boost, giving impetus to the Lord's work in this part of

Africa. We plan to use the funds to construct an evangelistic center

in Kinshasa, the capital of the French-speaking country of Zaire. This

is the second largest French-speaking city in the world, and one of the

largest cities in Africa. Yet, despite the fact our work has been estab-

lished for 50 years in Zaire, we have only one small congregation in

Kinshasa, meeting in a church building which is poorly located in a

market area. To build this evangelistic complex will be costly, for

both land and building materials are excessively high. Nevertheless,

it is imperative that we meet this challenge if the millions of inhab-

itants of this metropolis are to be reached with the message of the

great Advent. It is our hope to establish this building as near to the

heart of the city as possible.



•

We are also planning to develop a field headquarters in connection with

this complex as well as a dental and medical clinic. However, this

will depend upon the size of the offering received on June 24. We shall

be indebted to you for your prayers and support in helping us achieve

this objective.

With Christian greetings from Trans-Africa, I remain,

Your brother in Christ,

d=17

4 Z

C9"

Merle L. Mills, President

1-ASSL 2-78

How well do you know your Bible?

Do you have to ask your pastor or Bible instructor to

answer those difficult Bible questions your associates are

asking?

It is just a matter of time before what you have in your

head is all you will be able to depend on.

If your B Q is down, daily lesson study will help you to get

prepared for the soon-coming conflict.

DAYBREAK



SERIES

Adult Sabbath School Lessons / No. 332, April-June, 1978

Confor

1. We Need Him

2. We Are Drawn by Him

3. We Are Sorry

4. We Wronged Him

5. We Trust Him

6. We Yield to Him

7. We Are Forgiven Through Him

8. We Are Born Again

9. We Are at Peace

10. We Consecrate Ourselves

11. We Bear Fruit

12.

We Have Great Promises

13.

We Are Righteous by Faith

The Adult Sabbath School Lessons are prepared by the Sabbath School Department of

the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. The preparation of the lessons is

directed by a worldwide Sabbath School Lesson Committee, the members of which serve

as consulting editors.

Editorial Office: 6840 Eastern Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20012

Lesson Author: Gordon M. Hyde

Editor: W. Richard Lesher

Editorial Secretary: Florence L. Wetmore

Circulation Manager: Arthur R. Mazat

Art and Design: Pacific Press

Illustration for Lesson 9 by Dale Rusch, Persuasive Productions

Scripture references other than from the King James Version quoted by permission in this quarterly are as follows:

NEB. From

The New English Bible,

the Cambridge University Press 1961 and 1970. Reprinted by permission of Cambridge University Press, New York

City.

Phillips.

From

The New Testament in Modern English,

J. B. Phillips. Used by permission of The Macmillan Company and Collins Publishers.

RSV. From the

Revised Standard Version Bible,

of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and used by permission.

Braille lessons available. See page 112.

Adult Sabbath School Lessons (standard edition). Published quarterly by Pacific Press

Publishing Association, 1350 Villa Street, Mountain View, California 94042, U.S.A. One

year subscription in U.S.A., $1.80; single copy, 45 cents. One year subscription to

countries outside U.S.A., $2.40; single copy, 60 cents. All prices at U.S.A. exchange.

Second-class postage paid at Mountain View, California 94042, U.S.A. When a change of

address is desired, please send both old and new addresses.

Just what your

preschooler needs-

While children are still

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Each principle listed in

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All eight booklets are

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THE PATH OF FAITH

Introduction

To hear some presentations of the gospel of Jesus Christ is to gain the impression that

only a special group—a handpicked few—have, or can have what is required to become

righteous, and thus to be fitted for heaven.

Some fear to attend meetings or read publications that deal with righteousness by faith

because they are sure beforehand that it is beyond all but those with a built-in capacity to

reach heaven and gain eternal life.

It is the object of this series of Sabbath School lessons to clear away any basis for such

fears or hesitations. Dear Sabbath School member, heaven is for

you!

And you too can

understand the way to get there! In fact, "As through Jesus we enter into rest, heaven

begins here.... Heaven is a ceaseless approaching to God through Christ.... All that

human nature can bear, we may receive here. But what is this compared with the

hereafter?"—The

Desire of Ages,

pp. 331, 332.

We want to study together this quarter some of the first major steps which we must take

on the path of faith in Jesus. We shall look at our need of Jesus, the way His love draws us

to Him, how we come to be sorry for our sins, and what we can do with them. We shall try to

understand better how simple faith is, and how to use it in surrender of ourselves to His

control. We shall reassure ourselves of His willingness to forgive us and to make us new

creations in

Himself.

We shall feel the depth of the peace He offers and the joy of giving

ourselves fully to Him. We shall marvel anew at the almost unbelievable promises He

makes, sense the joy of bearing His fruit in our lives as we accept Him and become

righteous by faith.

We have decided to concentrate our study on the writings'of the apostle John—his

Gospel, his Epistles, and the Revelation. But we draw occasionally on other inspired

witnesses to fill out some of the picture. We gratefully draw on the special counsel to this

remnant people by the spirit of prophecy.

It is possible that many will feel that some important principle or emphasis has been

overlooked in this series of lessons. And that should not be cause for surprise. We will

readily recognize that there are other steps on the path of faith besides those covered this

quarter. Although we deal with fruit bearing in the Christian life, there is more to be said

about the full process of growing up into Christ, about conquering doubt, about the

Christian's work and witness, about the life of prayer and the evidences which confirm our

conversion. Much more can be said about the ties between these steps to Christ and His

work in the heavenly sanctuary and the closing of that work. Righteousness by faith as a

special emphasis in our history is a most profitable study. But, again, let us remember

that we do not have to resolve the issues raised during our history before we can

personally enter into the peaceful and joyous experience of righteousness by faith. The

first and essential steps are covered in the lessons we are about to study together this

quarter.

Oh that we each might believe Him and thus know His presence before this quarter

closes! Let us study, pray, and witness with and for each other.

LESSON 1 March 26 to April 1

"In him was life; and the life was the

light of men" (John 1:4).

It has so often been said that the

greatest certainty in life is death. And it

is equally true that death plays no

favorites. The man who plants seed,

the woman who drives a city bus,

people bordering on the edge of

starvation, and those who are

overfed—all of these alike face the

inevitable grave.

In this respect the believer in Jesus

Christ is not different from the

unbeliever. It is only when we talk of

life beyond death—eternal life, life

without end—that there is a difference

between the one who believes, and

the one who believes not.

In spite of every effort of medical

science there appears to be no way to

stretch generally useful and happy

human life much beyond fourscore

years. Occasionally reports claim

life-spans of 130 or even 150 years. At

least some age-claims come from

places where there is no reliable or

official record of birth dates. So when

a person dies it becomes not a little

difficult to decide how long he has

lived! Though we may accept these

reports at face value, still even the

sesquicentenarian will soon die.

But more than all of this, most

people live in heavy darkness. Not

physical perhaps, but mental, moral

and social darkness—not to mention

darkness of the spirit, of the soul.

Some keep "happy" by a full life of

busyness, others by perpetual

self-indul&ence. But there comes a day

or reckoning, a day of facing life's

greatest reality alone, and so often

without hope.

How much we need Him who has

life in Himself—He who is able and

willing to give that divine life to meil,m

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

Healer

(John 5:6)

"A Spring of Water"

(John 4:14)

"The Light of the World"

(John 8:12)

"The Bread of Life"

(John 6:35)

"The Good Shepherd"

(John 10:11)

"The Way"

(John 14:6)



We Need Him



LESSON 1



❑

Sunday

March 26



Part 1



What do you think was the purpose of Jesus' question?

HEALER

"When Jesus saw him and knew that he had been lying

there a long time, he said to him, 'Do you want to be healed?' "

(John 5:6, RSV).

Can we by imagination put ourselves in the place of this

sufferer by the sheep pool in Jerusalem? Think of being help-

less for some 38 years from a crippling disease. Then think of

having your hopes raised periodically by the expectation

created from a long-standing tradition that the one who could

show the greatest selfishness by making himself first to enter

the pool at a certain season by a certain sign would be healed.

Can you imagine the jealousy and enmity that would develop

among these poor sufferers by the pool as each was forced to

regard every other person there as his potential enemy, virtually

his destroyer? Some would have helpers to assist them in gain-

ing an advantage over those having no help. Some would edge

their way to the pool periodically, to the very brink, so that they

might be the happy first person to jump or fall or roll into the

water.

To one such a sufferer, who had borne 38 years of misery and

undoubted self-condemnation, Jesus said with sympathy and

concern, "Do you want to be healed?"



THINK IT THROUGH



How does this healing of the cripple illustrate our need of

Christ?

Do you find yourself contending with the selfish, scrambling

crowd? Do you find others stronger than yourself taking advan-

tage of your weakness? Do you feel alone and friendless, shut

out from God's mercy? Have you been striving repeatedly to

meet a lifelong objective, only to be disappointed again and

again until your strength and hope are about to give out?

How we need today to hear that voice of tenderness and see

that countenance of compassion offering to us the help which

Christ alone can bring!

Do you want to be healed?

"He bids you arise in health and peace. Do not wait to feel that

you are made whole. Believe His word, and it will be fulfilled. Put

your will on the side of Christ. Will to serve Him, and in acting

upon His word you will receive strength. Whatever may be the

evil practice, the master passion which through long in-

dulgence binds both soul and body, Christ is able and longs to

deliver. He will impart life to the soul that is 'dead in trespasses.'

Eph. 2:1. He will set free the captive that is held by weakness and

misfortune and the chains of sin."—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 203.



FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pp. 201-203.



We Need Him



LESSON 1



❑

Monday

March 27



Part 2



What does it mean that the water Jesus gives will become a



"A SPRING



spring?

OF WATER"

"Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never

thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a

spring of water welling up to eternal life" (John 4:14, RSV).

(See John 7:37-39.)

Some who study this lesson today will know from cruel ex-

perience what it means to be really thirsty. And those who know

this by experience have a gratitude for a supply of water which is

unknown to those who have always turned on the faucet and

received all the water they could use.

The Bible land in which Jesus grew up and ministered was

one that treasured its supplies of water. Large pools were cut

from the rock to provide storage for water when it came in the

rainy seasons so that there would be a supply during the rain-

less summer. Wells were also dug to assure a water supply.

An adequate water supply was essential for establishment of

a village or town. He who had an unfailing well on his property

was wealthy indeed. More often than not the well was shared by

all in the community and even by strangers and travelers.

Think, then, of the Samaritan woman, coming alone and in

the heat of the day to draw water at Sychar. Generally the

women of a village came to the well at the same time, morning

and evening. They enjoyed it as a social occasion, a time of

chatter and laughter. Did she come alone because her sinful life

made her an outcast?

How easily Jesus knocked at the door of her heart by talking

to her about water—His physical need and her spiritual one.



THINK IT THROUGH



Are there hidden veins of sin in your life which have drained

off and dried up the wells of salvation?

"He who tastes of the love of Christ will continually long for

more; but he seeks for nothing else. The riches, honors, and

pleasures of the world do not attract him. The constant cry of his

heart is, More of Thee. And He who reveals to the soul its

necessity is waiting to satisfy its hunger and thirst. Every human

resource and dependence will fail. The cisterns will be emptied,

the pools become dry; but our Redeemer is an inexhaustible

fountain. We may drink, and drink again, and ever find a fresh

supply. He in whom Christ dwells has within himself the foun-

tain of blessing,—'a well of water springing up into everlasting

life.' From this source he may draw strength and grace suffi-

cient for all his needs."—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 187.

Do you need a spring of water welling up to eternal life within

your soul? Then you need Him.



FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pp. 183-188.

2-ASSL 2-78

We Need Him

LESSON 1



❑

Tuesday

March 28

Part 3

"THE LIGHT OF

THE WORLD"

How did Jesus symbolize Himself at the Feast of Taberna-

cles? Why is this symbol appropriate?

"Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of

the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but

shall have the light of life" (John 8:12).

We have seen Jesus portrayed as the Healer of disease, physi-

cal and spiritual. We have seen Him as the Source of springs of

living water welling up unto eternal life. Now we see Him por-

trayed as the Light of the world.

Our modern electrically illuminated world is not too well able

to appreciate the preciousness of light. Some can recall the

days when oil lamps and candles were the main means of

dispelling the darkness. But when Jesus announced Himself as

the Light of the world, it was on the occasion of the Feast of

Tabernacles, when two great lamps cast their glow over the city

of Jerusalem and the temple courts. This was to be a reminder of

the pillar of light that guided Israel in the desert, and it also was

regarded as pointing to the coming of the Messiah.

Were the feast lamps adequate to represent the Light of the

world?

"As the radiant lamps of the temple lighted up all about them,

so Christ, the source of spiritual light, illumines the darkness of

the world. Yet the symbol was imperfect. That great light which

His own hand had set in the heavens was a truer representation

of the glory of His mission."—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 463.

Light is vital to sustaining life. Even the faint light of the

winter's sun makes a difference to the growth of plants and

grasses. Light is the only answer to darkness, and it is appro-

priate that the apostle Peter, recalling the symbol which Christ

had used of Himself, assured, us, "We have also a more sure

word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as

unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and

the day star arise in your hearts" (2 Peter 1:19).



THINK IT THROUGH



In what areas of life has the light of heaven not shone into

my heart and upon the road before me?

Christ "was the spiritual light that in symbol and type and

prophecy had shone upon Israel. But not to the Jewish nation

alone was the light given. As the sunbeams penetrate to the .

remotest corners of the earth, so does the light of the Sun of

Righteousness shine upon every soul."—The

Desire of Ages,

464.



FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pp. 463-465.

We Need Him

LESSON 1



❑

Wednesday

March 29

Part 4

"THE BREAD

OF LIFE"

THINK IT THROUGH

"And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that

cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me

shall never thirst" (John 6:35).

In what way do you understand Jesus to be the "bread of

life"?

In addition to water and light there is the necessity for

nourishment of the body. Without food a person will starve and

die.

But here again Jesus is not only the giver of the bread that

sustains physical life; but, as our text clearly indicates, He is

speaking of a soul hunger which He alone can satisfy.

The Jewish people reminded Christ that in the wilderness

Moses had given them bread from heaven, the manna (verses

31-33). Correcting their memory of who was the true giver—

God, not Moses—Jesus took the symbol of bread from heaven

to illustrate His own coming dawn from heaven to give

spiritual

life. The manna in the wilderness had sustained only

physical

life.

The sustenance of thousands of people in their travels

through an unproductive desert was clearly a miracle of God's

grace and power. It is just as miraculous to obtain eternal life. It

is not the result of man's searching after God, but the result of

man's partaking of heavenly bread—Jesus who came from God

to man.

Just as Jesus had offered the woman at the well a spring of

water that would be to her eternal life, He now offers Himself as

the bread which alone can sustain eternal life.

How would you compare the bread of life which Jesus offers

with the tree of life that was available to Adam and Eve in the

garden?

When Adam and Eve were cut off from access to the tree of

life, God made known the provision of the "seed of the woman,"

who would come to intervene in the battle between man and

Satan. This was a wonderful manifestation of God's love, as well

as a clear indication of the human need for Christ. The tree of

life could have sustained the lives of Adam and Eve forever.

After sin only belief in Jesus brought eternal life. Will it not be

through Him that we shall regain access to the tree of life? And

with the sin question forever settled, this mortal shall put on

immortality. How beautifully complete and perfect is God's plan

to meet our desperate need!

FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pp. 386-391.

We Need Him

LESSON 1



❑

Thursday

March 30

Part 5

"THE GOOD

SHEPHERD"

THINK IT THROUGH

"I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life

for the sheep" (John 10:11).

In what ways is Jesus like a "good shepherd"?

While water and bread were vital to the simple life of the

dwellers in Bible lands in Christ's day, another common sight in

the land, which Christ took to represent Himself and our need of

Him, was that of a shepherd leading his flock. We perhaps see

Him best illustrated in the shepherd who owned the sheep he

cared for. Not in a wealthy man who owned sheep and hired

others to care for his flocks. Nor in the one hired shepherd. The

owner-shepherd's very life was the life of his sheep.

The true shepherd endured storm and pestilence, hunger and

drought and thirst with his sheep. He found for them streams of

clear water and green pastures where they could feed and rest.

He wandered about the land according to the need of his sheep.

He knew each of them by name, and each responded to his

voice. By night he was their protector from thieves and from

wild beasts. When they were near a sheepfold where he could

place them for the night, he was himself the living door to the

fold. It was difficult for any enemy to enter the fold without the

shepherd's knowledge. The good shepherd risked his life for

the sheep. All of this was in contrast to the hireling.

We recall the experiences of the young shepherd David, car-

ing for his father's flocks, and how he had to meet a lion and a

bear to preserve his entrusted treasure.

In the Bible sheep are regarded as helpless, defenseless, and

stupid. (See

SDA Bible Dictionary,

p. 995.) It is not without

reason that they have been known for centuries as "silly" sheep.

They manifest nothing like the intelligence or understanding of

a horse or a dog. Christ chose the sheep to represent us, and the

good shepherd to represent Himself. We, the "silly" sheep, have

perhaps not been sufficiently aware of our need of the Good

Shepherd.

Does the sheep know when it is lost? Can the sheep find its

way home when lost?

"Jesus knows us individually, and is touched with the feeling

of our infirmities. He knows us all by name. He knows the very

house in which we live, the name of each occupant. He has at

times given directions to His servants to go to a certain street in

a certain city, to such a house, to find one of His sheep.

"Every soul is as fully known to Jesus as if

were the only

one for whom the Saviour died."—The

Desire of Ages, pp. 479,

480.

FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pp. 476-484.

We Need Him

LESSON 1



❑

Friday

March 31

Part 6

"THE WAY"

THINK IT THROUGH

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life:

no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6).

It is interesting to note that by the time Saul of Tarsus became

burdened to persecute members of the church of Jesus Christ,

they had become known as those who were "of this way" (Acts

9:2). Could • it be that the believers's acceptance of Christ's

declaration of Himself as the way led to this synonym for Chris-

tianity?

We have so many scriptural references to the "way," whether

it is "the way of salvation" (Acts 16:17) or "the way of the Lord"

(Acts 18:25), or simply "way" (Acts 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:22).

We yearn to be restored to harmony with God. Christ is the

way. We yearn for victory over the plague spots of character, the

weaknesses that beset us, whether inherited or cultivated.

Christ is the way. We feel lost and bewildered so that we wander

in every direction hoping to find the way. Christ is the way. Are

we consumed with the search for truth? Christ is not only the

way, he is also the truth.

How are life and truth related in Jesus?

He who finds Christ, or rather, he who is willing to be found by

Christ finds not only the way but also the truth. Are we exhaust-

ing our resources in the search for the prolonging of life? As we

come to Christ we find "the way, the truth, and the life." How

more perfectly could Christ represent to us our need and His

complete ability to supply all our human needs?

What way have I been following today? Have I been walking

in the sparks of my own kindling? Have I felt perfectly

adequate and capable of making my own way?

"By His humanity, Christ touched humanity; by His divinity,

He lays hold upon the throne of God. As the Son of man, He gave

us an example of obedience; as the Son of God, He gives us

power to obey.... So when He [Christ] came 'in the likeness of

man,' He declared Himself the I AM. The Child of Bethlehem, the

meek and lowly Saviour, is God 'manifest in the flesh.' 1 Tim.

3:16. And to us He says, 'I AM the Good Shepherd.' I AM the

living Bread.' I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life.' All power is

given unto Me in heaven and in earth.' John 10:11; 6:51; 14:6;

Matt. 28:18. I AM the assurance of every promise. I AM; be not

afraid. 'God with us' is the surety of our deliverance from sin, the

assurance of our power to obey the law of heaven."—The

Desire

of Ages,

pp. 24, 25.

What perfect provision Jesus Christ has made for our eternal

salvation! How completely we need Him!

FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of

Ages,

pp. 292, 293;

Steps to Christ,

"The Sin-

ner's Need of Christ," pp. 17-22.

"And I, when I am lifted u

from the earth, will draw all

men to myself" (John 12:32,

RSV).

LESSON 2 April 2-8

Commonly we think that we

become Christians when we go in

search of Christ. It seems hard for us to

recognize that any time that we go to

Christ, He first has come to us and is

continually drawing us to Himself.

Notice the setting in which the

words of our key text above are

spoken. Jesus had recently made His

triumphal entry into the city of

Jerusalem, riding as kings of Israel

did—on a colt. His disciples and the

responsive crowd had shouted

hosannas in His name. Among the

crowds that came up to worship at the

feast were some Greeks. It was they

who made the moving request to

Philip, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus."

In response to the request of the

Greeks Jesus began to speak of His

impending death. He had come to be

not Saviour of the Jews only, but also

Saviour of the world. This price He

must pay to make it possible for

people of any nation to be saved from

sin through Him. And as the details of

death by crucifixion came to mind He

asked His Father to save Him from that

hour. But His conviction that it was for

this purpose that He had come into the

world tempered this request.

In faith He invited His Father to

glorify His own name. Immediately

came the response from heaven, "I

have glorified it, and I will glorify it

again" (verse 28). The wondering

crowd heard only what sounded to

them like thunder. Some more

discerning ones suggested that an

angel had spoken to Him. Jesus

insisted that the voice had come not

for His sake but for theirs. And looking

to His crucifixion, almost in tones of

triumph He declared, "Now is the

judgment of this world, now shall the

ruler of this world be cast out; and I,

when I am lifted up from the earth, will

draw all men to myself" (John 12: 31,

32, RSV).

In last week's lesson we studied a

number of illustrations given in the

Gospel of John portraying the fact that

we as sinners are in needof Christ. In

this week's lesson we find assurance

that we not only need Him but that He

is doing everything that heaven can do

to draw us to Him. Christ is the great

lodestone, the heavenly magnet, that

tugs at human hearts, drawing them to

Himself.

When Jesus explained to the crowd

that when He should be lifted up He

would draw all men to Himself, He was

predicting the method by which He

would die, in which He would become

that "grain of wheat" that would fall

into the earth and die in order that it

should not remain alone but rather

that it should bear much fruit. By His

death on the cross Christ would reveal

to everyone the love of God in a way

that would draw individuals to Him.

"If we do not resist this drawing, we

shall be led to the foot of the cross in

repentance for the sins that have

crucified the Saviour. Then the Spirit

of God through faith produces a new

life in the soul. The thoughts and

desires are brought into obedience to

the will of Christ. The heart, the mind,

are created anew in the image of Him

who works in us to subdue all things to

Himself. Then the law of God is

written in the mind and heart, and we

can say with Christ,'l delight to do Thy

will, 0 my God.' Ps. 40:

8."—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 176.

How is it, dear friend, with you?

Have you been resisting thetugging at

your heartstrings of the love of God in

Christ Jesus?

This week let us study together how

much He loves us, and let us ask

ourselves how we can possibly resist

the tug of His love.

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

Light for All

(John 1:9)

"Lamb of God"

(John 1:29)

"Come and See"

(John 1:48)

"Born of the Spirit"

(John 3:8)

"Given . . . of My Father"

(John 6:65)

No Orphans Here

(John 14:18)

We Are Drawn by Him

LESSON 2



❑

Sunday

April 2

Part 1



"That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that

LIGHT cometh into the world" (John 1:9).

FOR ALL

What are some ways Jesus "lighteth every man"?

THINK IT THROUGH

There is in these words a rather clear indication that every

man that comes into the world receives some degree of light

from Jesus Christ, "the true Light." As we saw in last week's

lesson, Jesus declares Himself to be the light of the world.

The setting for these words was the contrast drawn between

John the Baptist and Jesus Christ by the apostle John in this first

chapter of his Gospel. John the Baptist was a witness; he came

to bear witness to Him who was the light. The Scripture is clear

that John himself was not the light; but, as John was engaged in

his ministry, He who was indeed the true light was coming to the

forefront. As

The New English Bible

gives it, "The real light

which enlightens every man was even then coming into the

world."

This understanding of John 1:9 harmonizes with the key text

of the week to the effect that all men will be drawn to Christ

through the sacrifice which He made on Calvary's cross. (See

John 12:32.)

Such a concept of God as one whose love is given impartially

to all men, granting to each the opportunity to be enlightened

concerning the love of God in Christ Jesus, agrees with what we

would expect of a God of love.

What examples can you think of which illustrate the fact that

"the true Light" had universal appeal even while He was here

as a man among men? (See John 12:20-23 and Luke 7:1-10.)

Note the inspired comment on the latter:

"To Jesus this [the faith of the centurion] was an earnest of

the work which the gospel was to accomplish among the Gen-

tiles. With joy He looked forward to the gathering of souls from

all nations to His kingdom. With deep sadness He pictured to

the Jews the result of their rejection of His grace: 'I say unto you,

That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down

with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.

But the children of the kingdom shall be cast -out into outer

darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' Alas,

how many are still preparing for the same fatal disappointment!

While souls in heathen darkness accept His grace, how many

there are in Christian lands upon whom the light shines only to

be disregarded."—The

Desire of Ages,

pp. 317, 318.

FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pp. 464, 465.



We Are Drawn



by Him

LESSON 2



❑

Monday

April 3



Part 2



—

The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith,

"LAMB OF Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the

GOD" world." (John 1:29).

The Saviour who draws all men unto Himself through His

cross and who is the light to lighten every man in the world is

also declared byJohn the Baptist to be "the Lamb of God, which

taketh away the sin of the world." There is no favoritism here, no

exclusiveness, no partiality. The sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the

cross of Calvary was sufficient to cover, to cleanse, and to

remove the sins of the world. And what a wealth of significance

is called up by that very expression "the Lamb of God"!

What connection do you see between Jesus and the Old

Testament system of sacrifices?

The whole sacrificial system from the time of the cherubim-

guarded entrance to the Garden of Eden down to the very days

of Jesus Christ Himself could be summed up in the expression

"the Lamb of God."

How much did Abraham understand of the expression, "the

Lamb of God"? (See Gen. 22:1-18; Heb. 11:17-19.)

Abraham had been permitted to spare the life of his son Isaac,

and the ram caught in the thicket out on the mountaintop

provided the substitute for Isaac. So that place was named

thereafter "The Lord will provide" (RSV). But who would substi-

tute for the Son of God? Who would spare the heavenly Father

the agony of separation from His Son as He became the Sin

Bearer, the Lamb of God, the sacrifice and substitute for the

sins of the whole world? There would be no substitute for Him.

Wonder 0 heavens and be astonished 0 earth! Is it any mystery

that Jesus had the power to draw men unto Himself?



THINK IT THROUGH



To what extent have I accepted Jesus as "the Lamb of God"

for me?

"There are not many ways to heaven. Each one may not

choose his own way. Christ says, 'I am the way: . . . no man

cometh unto the Father, but by Me.' Since the first gospel

sermon was preached, when in Eden it was declared that the

seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head, Christ had

been uplifted as the way, the truth, and the life. He was the way

when Adam lived, when Abel presented to God the blood of the

slain lamb, representing the blood of the Redeemer. Christ was

the way by which patriarchs and prophets were saved. He is the

way by which alone we can have access to God."—The

Desire of

Ages,

p. 663.



FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pp. 132-137.

We Are Drawn by Him

LESSON 2



❑

Tuesday

April 4

Part 3

"COME AND SEE"

THINK IT THROUGH

"Nathanael said to him, 'How do you know me?' Jesus

answered him, 'Before Philip called you, when you were under

the fig tree, I saw you' " (John 1:48, RSV).

It had been when John the Baptist pointed out "the Lamb of

God" that the first men who became Christ's apostles left John

the Baptist to follow Jesus. They were Andrew, the brother of

Peter, and John the evangelist. "Moved by an irresistible im-

pUlse, they followed Jesus,—anxious to speak with Him, yet

awed and silent, lost in the overwhelming significance of the

thought, 'Is this the Messiah?'

"—The Desire of Ages,

p. 138.

What lesson can we learn from the experience of Christ's

first disciples? Verses 40-45.

But no sooner had Andrew and John come to know Jesus

even a little than there was born in their hearts a desire to call

others. So Andrew went in search of his brother Simon.

And now we find Jesus calling Philip and saying to him,

"Follow Me." Philip obeyed this summons and himself became

an extension of the voice and call of Jesus Christ. Philip went in

search of his friend, Nathanael. Since his own knowledge of

Jesus was still limited, he was having a little difficulty in per-

suading Nathanael that he had indeed found the Messiah. But

finally he simply said, "Come and see." When Nathanael came,

Jesus gave such evidence of knowing him and his longing for

the Messiah that Nathanael declared in growing faith, "Rabbi,

thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel" (verse 49).

Does my life so reflect the likeness of Jesus today that it

says to those who do not know Christ, Come and see? (Com-

pare Rev. 22:17; 2 Cor. 3:2.)

"The teaching of Christ was the expression of an inwrought

conviction and experience, and those who learn of Him become

teachers after the divine order. The word of God, spoken by one

who is himself sanctified through it, has a life-giving power that

makes it attractive to the hearers, and convicts them that it is a

living reality. When one has received the truth in the love of it, he

will make this manifest in the persuasion of his manner and the

tones of his voice. He makes known that which he himself has

heard, seen, and handled of the word of life, that others may

have fellowship with him through the knowledge of Christ. His

testimony, from lips touched with a live coal from off the altar, is

truth to the receptive heart, and works sanctification upon the

character."—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 142.

FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pp. 138-143.

We Are Drawn by Him

LESSON 2



❑

Wednesd

April 5

Part 4



"The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it,

"BORN OF but you do not know whence it comes or whither it goes; so it is

THE SPIRIT" with every one who is born of the Spirit" (John 3:8, RSV).

THINK IT THROUGH

Did you ever think in childhood that you might stop the wind

from blowing? As impossible a dream as that of the foolish king

who thought that he could hold back the waves of the ocean.

Whether it be the gentle refreshing summer breeze that breaks

up the heat of the day or the awesome hurricane, tornado, or

monsoon, there is nothing that man can do to control the will of

the wind.

The love of God is like the wind in that He who draWs us to

Himself draws universally. Man can build no barriers that can

keep out the first approach of God through the Holy Spirit. This

is not to suggest for a moment that the Lord forces His love

upon any; but there is a light which lights every man that comes

into the world. God's love is universal, Jesus shed His blood for

the sins of the whole world. God sees and knows equally every

individual, no matter where he is found in the world, and no man

can stay God's love except by his persistent rejection of it.

Must I be able to explain the love of God in order to receive

it?

"It is impossible for finite minds to comprehend the work of

redemption. Its mystery exceeds human knowledge; yet he who

passes from death to life realizes that it is a divine reality. The

beginning of redemption we may know here through a personal

experience. Its results reach through the eternal ages."—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 173.

Why should I or should I not be troubled because I cannot

tell the exact time and place and circumstance under which I

gave my heart in response to the movings of God's Spirit?

"A person may not be able to tell the exact time or place, or to

trace all the circumstances in the jirocess of conversion; but

this does not prove him to be unconverted. By an agency as

'unseen as the wind, Christ is constantly working upon the heart.

Little by little, perhaps unconsciously to the receiver, impres-

sions are made that tend to draw the soul to Christ. These may

be received through meditating upon Him, through reading the

Scriptures, or through hearing the word from the living

preacher. Suddenly, as the Spirit comes with more direct ap-

peal, the soul gladly surrenders itself to Jesus."—The

Desire of

Ages,

p. 172.

You can reject the Holy Spirit, but you cannot stop His woo-

ing. If we do not resist Him, we shall be led to the foot of the

cross in repentance for sin.

FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pp. 172-174.

We Are Drawn by Him

LESSON 2



❑

Thursday

April 6

Part 5

"GIVEN . . .

OF MY FATHER"

Why is any person attracted to Jesus as Saviour?

"And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can

come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father"

(John 6:65).

The experience of coming to Jesus Christ is completely real. It

is as real as the fact that God the Father reigns on the throne of

the universe and that all things are sustained by His might. It is

not by accident, not by good fortune, but entirely by the power

of the Spirit that any individual comes to Christ and finds eternal

life in Him.

How completely is the heavenly Father willing that all

should find eternal life in His Son? John 6:39, 40.

Did association with Christ while He was on earth have a

saving power greater than He can provide now?

We may think that if we had lived on earth when Jesus was

here we would have been with John, Andrew, Nathanael, Philip,

Mary Magdalene, and the woman at the well in giving our hearts

to Him; that we would have been among the first to support Him

and to let Him know of our love. We may sometimes think that

anyone who saw and heard Jesus in person would have been

compelled to receive Him. But think of Judas Iscariot, who had

the closest association with Jesus, who was treated as the rest

of the disciples were treated for some three years, but who

never committed himself to Jesus. By his own choice Judas

deprived the heavenly Father of the privilege of bringing him

into a saving relationship with the Son, Jesus Christ.



THINK IT THROUGH



What does it really mean to believe on the Son of God?

"There is a great work to be done for your own soul's salva-

tion, and to qualify you to win others from unbelief to a life

sustained by faith in Christ Jesus. 'Verily, verily, I say unto you,

He that believeth on me [with a casual faith?—No, with an

abiding faith that works by love and purifies the soul] hath

everlasting life. I am that bread of life.... I am the living bread

which came down from heaven. . . . But there are some of you

that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they

were that believed not, and who should betray Him. And he said,

Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me,

except it were given unto him of my Father.' (John 6:47, 48, 51,

53, 54,

63-65)."---Selected Messages,

bk. 1, pp. 137, 138.



FURTHER STUDY



Selected Messages,

bk. 1, pp. 391-394.

We Are Drawn by Him

LESSON 2



❑

Friday

April 7

Part 6

NO ORPHANS

HERE

"I will not leave you desolate; I will come to you" (John

14:18, RSV).

In the original language of the New Testament, Jesus was

saying, "I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you"

(NASB). How more beautifully could He have expressed it! He

was about to return to heaven following His unexpected death

on the cross—unexpected to His dearest disciples. Their utter

desolation begins to be seen on the night of the betrayal and

continues for some of them through most of the day of His

resurrection. Absolutely orphaned!

But no. The very event which made them such desolate or-

phans from their beloved Master was the means by which He

would ensure their being with Him for all eternity. And in the

interim, throughout the remainder of their lives, He would be

with them by His Holy Spirit.

Is Christ's love, offered to those original followers, offered

equally to us? Have you been drawn so close to Jesus Christ

that even in the deepest depths of your loneliness, you know

He has not left you an orphan? (See John 16:33.)

"The life of Christ's disciples is to be like His, a series of

uninterrupted victories, not seen to be such here, but recog-

nized as such in the great hereafter.

"Those who labor for the good of others are working in union

with the heavenly angels. They have their constant companion-

ship, their unceasing ministry. Angels of light and power are

ever near to protect, to comfort, to heal, to instruct, to inspire.

The highest education, the truest culture, and the most exalted

service possible to human beings in this world are theirs."—

Testimonies,

vol. 6, pp. 307, 308.



THINK IT THROUGH



Why is it some people resist the pleadings of God for their

salvation?

"The only way in which we can gain a more perfect apprehen-

sion of truth is by keeping the heart tender and subdued by the

Spirit of Christ. The soul must be cleansed from vanity and

pride, and vacated of all that has held it in possession, and

Christ must be enthroned within. Human science is too limited

to comprehend the atonement. The plan of redemption is so

far-reaching that philosophy cannot explain it. It will ever re-

main a mystery that the most profound reasoning cannot

fathom. The science of salvation cannot be explained; but it can

be known by experience. Only he who sees his own sinfulness

can discern the preciousness of the Saviour."—The

Desire of

Ages,

pp. 494, 495.



FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

p. 669.

"For godly grief produces a

repentance that leads to salvation and

brings no regret, but worldly grief

produces death" (2 Cor. 7:10, RSV).

LESSON 3 April 9-15

Already this quarter we have studied

together about our need of Jesus

Christ and how He draws us to

Himself. Now we need to consider

what happens in the human heart if it

does not resist.

In the key text above, the apostle

Paul is speaking to the church at

Corinth to which he had written some

very straight counsel. The Corinthians

had been deeply upset over his letter,

and, while the apostle indicates that it

did not make him happy to have them

grieved, it made him happy to know

that their grief from his rebuke led

them to repentance. He describes

such grief as "godly." He defines this

godly grief as that which "produces a

repentance that leads to salvation and

brings no regret," while mere worldly

grief by contrast may be destructive,

even producing death.

The Gospel of John contains a

classic example of true repentance

and a classic example of false

repentance, a repentance unto death.

We refer to the contrasting

experiences of Peter and Judas.

Peter's willingness to have his heart

broken unto repentance was the only

thing that saved him from the des-

perateness of Judas, who went out

and hanged himself. We shall look at

these two contrasting characters and

their experiences as we study together

this week.

But first let us ask ourselves the key

question: What is repentance?

We remember that the call to repent

was the key message of John the

Baptist, and his call was not in vague

generalities. He pointed out the

specific sins of different classes of men

who came out into the wilderness to

hear him. He even courageously

pointed out individual sins and did so

ultimately at the cost of his life. What

did he want men to do in repenting?

What would show that they were

repentant?

With his calls for repentance John

gave specific instructions as to various

actions that would demonstrate that

there was true repentance of heart.

Repentance would result in a change.

In fact, the original words which are

translated "repentance" in the texts

which we will use this week carry this

clear idea of a change of mind. Later in

our lessons of this quarter we are

going to study conversion, and we

perhaps can see already that there may

be a very close link between

repentance and conversion. We have

all heard the child's definition of

repentance as being "sorry enough to

quit," or "sorry enough to stop, ' or

"sorry enough to change." These are

good definitions. How can we be

"sorry" about our condition if the

so-called sorrow fails to produce

changes in our life-style? It is not

enough to profess repentance. The

words and actions and life will give

evidence of repentance in reality.

Peter, in his sermon on the day of

Pentecost, referred to his hearers as

those who had put the Redeemer to

death. Under conviction they asked,

"What shall we do?" Note the first

word of Peter's answer, "Repent." On

a later occasion he said, "Repent ...

and be converted, that your sins may

be blotted out" (Acts 2:37, 38; 3:19).

This is beautifully summed up in a

short paragraph in

Steps to Christ:

"Repentance includes sorrow for sin

and a turning away from it. We shall

not renounce sin unless we see its

sinfulness; until we turn away from it

in heart, there will be no real change in

the life."—Page 23.

With this definition in mind, let us

proceed to our study of this lesson.

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

Why Repent?

(Rom. 2:4)

Repentant Peter

(John 21:17)

Unrepentant Judas

(John 13:30)

Repent or Perish!

(Rev. 2:5)

Oh, Sinner Man!

(Luke 5:32)

All Should Repent

(2 Peter 3:9)

We Are Sorry

LESSON 3



❑

Sunday

April 9



Part 1



"Do you not know that God's kindness is meant to lead you

WHY REPENT? to repentance?" (Rom. 2:4, RSV).

We may at first think that we see a contradiction in the calls for

men to repent (as in the preaching of John the Baptist and of

Peter at Pentecost) and the suggestion that it does not lie within

man's unaided power to bring himself to repentance.

What did Peter say is the source of repentance? Acts 5:31.

Is God asking or commanding us to repent and yet withhold-

ing the means by which alone we can be brought to repent-

ance? Does He require us to have something for our salvation

which can only be obtained as a gift from Him, and then with-

hold the gift? No. As our text indicates, God's kindness is meant

to lead us to repentance.

If we will open our eyes to see God's kindness, His love, His

long-suffering, His tender mercies toward us, these will lead us

to repentance. Do you not recall from your childhood occasions

when discipline tended to harden your will against the will of

parent or teacher, but when that same parent or teacher made

some personal sacrifice in order to meet some particular need

or wish of yours, you were all broken up inside? When you knew

that your mother or father was going without something for

herself or himself in order to give you something that you

needed or thought you wanted, could you withstand that love?

Could you persist in having your own way?



THINK IT THROUGH



What has Jesus done for me that would lead me to be

genuinely sorry for my sins and willfulness?

" 'Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the

world.' John 1:29. The light shining from the cross reveals the

love of God. His love is drawing us to Himself. If we do not resist

this drawing, we shall be led to the foot of the cross in repent-

ance for the sins that have crucified the Saviour."—The

Desire

of Ages,

pp. 175, 176.

What is the relationship between repentance and forgive-

ness?

"It is true that repentance does precede the forgiveness of

sins; for it is only the broken and contrite heart that will feel the

need of a Saviour." But "the Bible does not teach that the sinner

must repent before he can heed the invitation of Christ, 'Come

unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy-laden and I will give you

rest.' Matthew 11:28. It is the virtue that goes forth from Christ,

that leads to genuine repentance."—Steps

to Christ,

p. 26.



FURTHER STUDY



Steps to Christ,

"Repentance," pp. 23-26.

We Are Sorry

LESSON 3



❑

Monday

April 10



Part 2



"He said to him the third time, 'Simon, son of John, do you

REPENTANT love me?' Peter was grieved because he said to him the third

PETER time, 'Do you love me?' And he said to him, 'Lord, you know

everything; you know that I love you.' Jesus said to him, 'Feed

my sheep' " (John 21:17, RSV).

Why do you think Jesus asked Peter three times for assur-

ance of his love for Him?

Our text is drawn from conversation of Jesus with Peter after

the resurrection. Three times Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him.

If Peter was sincere, wasn't once enough?

Peter had three times denied his Lord, not many days before

this—he who had boasted that though everybody else should

forsake the Saviour, he would never leave Him. And Peter had

been something of a leader among the disciples. Yet in the hour

of trial he had failed so miserably—almost as miserably as

Judas. For as Judas betrayed the lovelessness of his own heart

by selling his Saviour for 30 pieces of silver, Peter showed the

weakness of his love for his Lord by denying that he knew Him,

and accompanying his denial with the kind of low-down cursing

that he may have picked up among the fishermen of Galilee.

Now if Peter is to be restored to the confidence of his brethren

and is to resume leadership, it must be evident to all that the

proud braggart has become humble and teachable. Notice that

Peter does not now boast. When pressed regarding his sincerity

he merely casts himself upon Christ's knowledge of the hearts

of all men: "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love

you" (Verse 17).



THINK IT THROUGH



What broke the heart of proud Peter and led him to genuine

repentance, genuine change of mind?

"While the degrading oaths were fresh upon Peter's lips, and

the shrill crowing of the cock was still ringing in his ears, the

Saviour turned from the frowning judges [in the court of

Caiaphas], and looked full upon His poor disciple. At the same

time Peter's eyes were drawn to his Master. In that gentle

countenance he read deep pity and sorrow, but there was no

anger there.

"The sight of that pale, suffering face, those quivering lips,

that look of compassion and forgiveness, pierced his heart like

an arrow. . . .

"A tide of memories rushed over him. . . . Unable longer to

endure the scene, he rushed, heartbroken, from the hall."—The

Desire of Ages,

pp. 712, 713.

Here is genuine repentance recounted vividly as though

enacted before our eyes.



FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pp. 710-713.

3-ASSL 2-78

We Are Sorry

LESSON 3



❑

Tuesday

April 11

Part 3



"As soon as Judas had received the bread he went out. It

UNREPENTANT was night" (John 13:30, NEB).

JUDAS

In so many ways it was night for Judas. Judas's action would

bring night to the disciples and even to the Lord Himself.

The same kind of sympathy and love and yearning tenderness

which broke the independent heart of Peter was resisted by the

hardened, self-deceived heart of Judas. By comparison with

Judas, Peter was crude and uneducated, but he was utterly

whatever he was. Judas was a deceiver. He apparently deceived

all the disciples and even thought he had deceived the Lord.

Thereby he revealed how sadly he was himself deceived.

Judas had already arranged to betray his Lord for the price of

a slave-30 pieces of silver—before the Lord stooped to take the

place of a slave and bathed the feet of Judas in the upper room.

And although, as on several previous occasions, an inner urge

swept over him to confess all and bare his heart before the

Redeemer, he repeatedly accepted the tempter's rationale for

his actions. He even convinced himself that the betrayal was a

kindness to the Lord because it would force the reticent Saviour

into revealing Himself before His enemies as the undeniable

Messiah—if Messiah He really was.

THINK IT THROUGH



Have I been resisting the promptings of God's love to con-

fess my sins in genuine sorrow for them?

FURTHER STUDY

"At the Passover supper Jesus proved His divinity by reveal-

ing the traitor's purpose. He tenderly included Judas in the

ministry to the disciples. But the last appeal of love was un-

heeded. Then the case of Judas was decided, and the feet that

Jesus had washed went forth to the betrayer's work."—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 720.

Do not the words of Scripture imply repentance by Judas: "I

have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood" (Matt.

27:4)?

"The Saviour did not reproach His betrayer. He knew that

Judas did not repent; his confession was forced from his guilty

soul by an awful sense of condemnation and a looking for of

judgment, but he felt no deep, heartbreaking grief that he had

betrayed the spotless Son of God, and denied the Holy One of

Israel. .



"Judas saw that his entreaties were in vain, and he rushed

from the hall exclaiming, It is too late! It is too late! He felt that he

could not live to see Jesus crucified, and in despair went out and

hanged himself."—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 722.

The Desire of Ages,

pp. 716-722.



We Are Sorry



LESSON 3



❑

Wednesday

April 12



Part 4



"Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and re-



REPENT OR



pent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee



PERISH!



quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, ex-

cept thou repent" (Rev. 2:5).

In the letters from Jesus to the seven churches there are five

calls to repentance. Failure to heed the call of the Lord would be

followed by dire consequences. And these are messages of love

from Jesus to His professed followers. This fact is particularly

indicated in the message to Laodicea, "As many as I love, I

rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent" (Rev.

3:19).

Were these appeals to the churches general calls for re-

pentance, or were they associated with specific needs, prob-

lems, or sins of the respective churches? (See Rev. 2:4, 5,

14-16, 20, 21; 3:2, 3, 15-19.)

It is important to recognize that the Lord was pointing out

specific sins in each church. The call to repentance was closely

associated with words of specific reproof, specific appeal, de-

signed to have specific results in the church. So we may imply

that individual repentance must relate to particular sins and

weaknesses. Let each pray the prayer of the psalmist, "Search

me, 0 God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:

'and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way

everlasting" (Ps. 139:23, 24).

"Although as sinners we are under the condemnation of the

law, yet Christ by His obedience rendered to the law, claims for

the repentant soul the merit of His own righteousness. In order

to obtain the righteousness of Christ, it is necessary for the

sinner to know what that repentance is which works a radical

change of mind and spirit and action. The work of transforma-

tion must begin in the heart, and manifest its power through

every faculty of the being; but man is not capable of originating

such a repentance as this, and can experience it alone through

Christ, who ascended up on high, led captivity captive, and gave

gifts unto

men."—Selected Messages,

bk. 1, p. 393.



THINK IT THROUGH



How serious is the loss of our first love for Christ and His

church?

"The losing of the first love is specified as a moral fall. The

loss of this love is represented as something that will affect the

entire religious life. Of those who have lost this love, God says

that unless they repent, He will come to them, and remove their

candlestick out of its place."—Ellen G. White Comments,

SDA

Bible Commentary, vol.

7, p. 957.



FURTHER STUDY



Steps to Christ, "Consecration,"

pp. 44-46.

We Are Sorry

LESSON 3



❑

Thursday

April 13

Part 5

OH, SINNER

MAN!

"I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance"

(Luke 5:32).

He who responds to the call of Christ's love will be led to

repent. All of us who feel our own sinfulness and helplessness

may be assured that Jesus did not come to call the righteous

ones. Rather, He came to call and to save sinners—those who,

when confronted with the love of God as seen in Calvary's cross,

would cry out, God be merciful to me a sinner!

Is there any one sinner beyond the reach of the love of God?

Matt. 12:31, 32.

The Scripture teaches that God will forgive the sins we con-

fess. (See 1 John 1:9.) Any unconfessed sin is unpardonable so

long as it remains unconfessed. It is the Holy Spirit who convicts

us of our need for confession. To refuse the Spirit's conviction

places the sinner where he cannot confess so that his sin might

be forgiven.

"The sinner may resist this love, may refuse to be drawn to

Christ; but if he does not resist he will be drawn to Jesus; a

knowledge of the plan of salvation will lead him to the foot of the

cross in repentance for his sins, which have caused the suffer-

ings of God's dear

Son."—Steps to Christ,

p. 27.



THINK IT THROUGH



What shall I do if I have in my heart a longing for something

better than this world can give?

I can do a number of things: (1) I can ask God to give me

repentance, to reveal Christ in His infinite love and His perfect

purity. (2) I can come to Christ just as I am. (3) I can refuse to

excuse myself by comparing myself with others and their de-

fects. (4) I can refuse to delay the work of forsaking my sins and

seeking purity of heart through Jesus. (5) I can refuse to con-

sider any sin as too trivial to call for genuine repentance. (6) I

can remember that one wrong trait of character cherished can

neutralize the power of the gospel. (7) I can invite Christ to

search my heart and to reveal its wicked ways. (8) I can be in

dead earnest as I would be if I believed my life was at stake. (9) I

can study God's Word prayerfully. (10) I can refuse to give up to

despair. All God's promises and His warnings are manifesta-

tions of His love.



FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

p. 275.

We Are Sorry

LESSON 3



❑

Friday

April 14



Part 6



What does Peter teach about God's desire for everyone?

ALL SHOULD



REPENT



"The Lord is not slow about his promise as some count

slowness, but is forbearing toward you, not wishing that any

should perish, but that all should reach repentance" (2 Peter

3:9, RSV).

THINK IT THROUGH

What a tragedy that many earnest Christians have thought

that some are predestined to be saved and some predestined to

be lost! These inspired words, so clear and forthright, declare

that God does not wish that any should perish but thata// should

reach or come to repentance.

This text confirms what we have learned earlier—that God is

drawing all men to Himself, that there is a light which lights

every man that comes into the world, that Jesus has paid the

price for the salvation of the whole world and not for a selected

few.

How is it then, that in comparison with the billions of the

world's population, so few even profess the name of Christ and

still fewer actively call upon His name?

Think of the grief which must come to the heart of God, not

only because of sin, but because of our often persistent refusal

to respond to the only means of bringing them eternal deliver-

ance from sins and their consequences.

What was the setting in which Peter gave us this assur-

ance of God's wish that all should come to repentance? (See

2 Peter 3:3-8).

Peter gave this assurance after his warning to those who think

that everything that is happening in the world has always hap-

pened, that everything is going along in the same old way and

always will. But Peter reminds these scoffers of the Flood which

came and disrupted a world which had come to believe that

things would never change.

Looking at the passage of the centuries from the time of the

Flood, he reminds that with the Lord time is not a problem, that a

thousand years are only as a day to Him. What counts is the

promises of God which may look slow of fulfillment as men

count slowness. But what men fail to recognize is that it is the

forbearance of God that leads Him to delay His coming. But

don't let that delay deceive you, Peter reasons, because the day

of the Lord

will

come, and when it does come, it will be for many

like a thief unexpected, catching them unprepared and unpro-

tected. Then things will happen which men have decided would

never happen. It is because the Lord wants all to be led to

repentance, says Peter, that time goes on as long as it does.

FURTHER STUDY



The Great Controversy,

pp. 467, 468.

LESSON 4 April 16-22

The apostle John does not speak

extensively on the subject of

confession of sin. He does, however,

give us in the last text that we shall use

this week, the most precious and

reassuring promise of all concerning

God's response to man's confession

of sin. In fact, the Scriptures as a whole

do not speak at great length nor with

great frequency on this subject, and

many of the texts which in our English

translations contain the word

confession

to confess

are not

speaking of confession of sin, but

rather of a confession of faith in a

name—the name of Jesus above all.

And so we have the expression in

Christian theology of "confession of

faith," not only in theology but also in

Christian worship. But as we proceed

with our study of the steps that the

sinner is invited to take in coming to

Jesus, we are concerned about the

subject of

confession of sin.

Our key text above, taken from the

wise man and expressed in the typical

parallel phraseology of many of the

proverbs, puts these two thoughts

against each other:

(1)

He who conceals his

transgressions will not prosper;

(2)

But he who confesses and

forsakes them will obtain mercy.

We take it, then that to confess is the

opposite of trying to cover up one's

sins or transgressions and that a

parallel act with confession of sin is the

forsaking of sin. This reminds us of a

child's definition of repentance—

being "sorry enough to quit."

Likewise genuine confession involves

a willingness to forsake the sin

confessed. Nowhere in the Scripture

is there a call for a man to keep on

repeating his sins in the blissful

assurance that upon further

confession he can receive forgiveness

and continue to sin with impunity.

Rather, we would gather from our key

text that he who confesses his sins

without the intent of forsaking them is

virtually as guilty as he who attempts to

cover his sins and to hide them from

the knowledge of God and man.

If we suggested earlier that there is

all too little genuine repentance

among Christians these days, we

certainly would go the next step and

say that there is all too little confession

and forsaking of sin among professed

Christians.

Why do not husband and wife,

brother and sister, mother and child,

kiss and make up. Why is it not enough

if the husband who left the home in

anger in the morning returns in the

evening and simply settles into the

peaceful routine of homelife again

without reference to the morning's

problem? Is he not in his own way

saying that he is sorry for what he said

or did earlier, and wishes to be

forgiven? Some devoted wives insist

that it would be out of place for a

husband to do more than this. They

say he should not put in words to the

one offended an acknowledgment of

the wrong which he has said or done.

Some wives would even imply that it

would be unmanly for a husband to

make such a confession. Would it be

unmanly? Let us think about it as we

study this week. Is it perhaps all right

for a woman or a child to confess

specifically, orally, or in writing, his or

her wrong, but not for a man?

Why this modern male reticence to

confess specific sins and wrongdoing,

whether to God or to man or both?

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

1. Confession and Baptism

(Matt. 3:5, 6)

2.- Chief of Sinners

(1 Tim. 1:15)

"My Sin and the Sin of My

People" (Dan. 9:20, 21)

Confess to One Another

(James 5:16)

Specific Confession

(1 Sam. 12:19)

"Faithful and Just"

(1 John 1:9)

"He who conceals his

transgressions will not prosper, but he

who confesses and forsakes them will

obtain mercy" (Prov. 28:13, RSV).

We Wronged Him

LESSON 4



❑

Sunday

April 16



Part 1



What were key results of the preaching of John the Baptist

CONFESSION in the wilderness and of his message, "Repent ye"?

AND BAPTISM

"Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the

region round about Jordan, and were baptized of him in Jor-

dan, confessing their sins" (Matt. 3:5, 6).

In the ministry of John the Baptist repentance and confession

went hand in hand. He called to the people of Israel to recognize

that the kingdom of heaven was about to come upon them and

that in order to be ready for it they must repent. The people who

heard him confessed their sins and accepted baptism at his

hand, signifying the washing away of their sins.

It is significant that even the Roman soldiers who came out to

hear John were instructed to modify their life-style so as to

cease sinning against their fellowmen. Confession of sin was to

accompany forsaking of sin.

There is a marked danger today that, in bringing new converts

to Jesus Christ and to church fellowship, we fail to give them

time to recognize their responsibility in repentance, confession,

and restitution. A number of years ago there was a baptismal

candidate who heard God speaking to him through the preach-

ing of the judgment hour message, and when he heard of con-

fession and restitution, he sought out the minister in alarm. He

began to tell the things of which he had been guilty in his youth,

and even since becoming a married man and a father. He had

been something of a terror to the secluded rural community

where he had lived. He had borrowed without intention of re-

turning, and he had borrowed and had simply forgotten to

return. Now the thought of confession and restitution filled his

heart with fear.

But the Spirit of the Lord brought conviction, and this

brother, with tracts in his pocket rather than a gun on his hip, set

out among his neighbors to confess and restore. They were

amazed that he came to see them; still more amazed at what he

had to tell them. They gladly forgave him and some grabbed out

of his pocket the Christian magazines he had brought. "If these

did you that much good," said one, "maybe they can help me."



THINK IT THROUGH



What neglected work of confession and restitution do I

have?

"The conditions of obtaining mercy of God are simple and

just and reasonable. The Lord does not require us to do some

grievous thing in order that we may have the forgiveness of sin.

We need not make long and wearisome pilgrimages, or perform

painful penances, to commend our souls to the God of heaven

or to expiate our transgression; but he that confesseth and

forsaketh his sin shall have mercy."—Steps

to Christ,

p. 37.



FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pp. 103-108.

We Wronged Him

LESSON 4



❑

Monday

April 17

Part 2

CHIEF OF

SINNERS

THINK IT THROUGH

FURTHER STUDY

Even after years of apostleship, how did Paul see himself in

the sight of God?

"This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I

am chief" (1 Tim. 1:15).

Was it inappropriate for a great apostle such as Paul to admit

to a young beginning preacher like Timothy that he regarded

himself the chief of sinners? Was there danger that Timothy

would despise the apostle for so classifying himself? He might

assume that Paul was using a figure of speech, that he was not

genuine in so describing himself—chief of sinners.

Why did Paul see himself so much a sinner?

One has only to look briefly at the acts of the apostles as Luke

portrayed them to see that, to the very end of his ministry, the

great apostle Paul never forgot that he persecuted the saints of

Jesus Christ—His ,church. It seemed ever to weigh upon his

soul. Not that he as-unforgiven! But when writing to Timothy

about it, he related it to the mercy he had received from. God. He

had no salvation in himself; it came to him from Jesus Christ.

(See verse 16.) The apostle had evidently taught his converts a

similar measure of earnestness in rejecting the past and accept-

ing God's mercy.

With what intensity did the Corinthian believers engage in

afflicting their ,souls for sin? 2 Cor. 7:10, 11.

This scripture (2 Cor. 7:10, 11) rings with earnestness. Here is

true confession of sin.

"Christ looks at the spirit, and when He sees us carrying our

burden with faith, His perfect holiness atones for our shortcom-

ings. When we do our best, He becomes our righteousness. It

takes every ray of light that God sends to us to make us the light

of the world."—Selected

Messages,

bk. 1, p. 368.

What hidden chapters in my life have never been included in

my experience of repentance. and confession?

"Those who have not humbled their souls before God

acknowledging their guilt, have not yet fulfilled the first condi-

tion of acceptance. If we have not experienced that repentance

which is not to be repented of, and have not with true humilia-

tion of soul and brokenness of spirit confessed our sins, abhor-

ring our iniquity, we have never truly sought for the forgiveness

of sin; and if we have never sought, we have never found the

peace of God."—Steps

to Christ,

pp. 37, 38.

Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing,

"The Lord's Prayer,"

(Luke 11:4), pp. 113-116.

We Wronged Him

LESSON 4



❑

Tuesday

April 18

Part 3

"MY SIN AND

THE SIN OF

MY PEOPLE"

Is it ever appropriate for one person to confess the sins of

another person?

"While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and

the sin of my people

Israel, and presenting my supplication

before the Lord my God for the holy hill of my God; while I was

speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the

vision at the first, came to me in swift flight at the time of the

evening sacrifice" (Dan. 9:20, 21, RSV).

Here we have the prophet Daniel, in exile with many of his

people, seeking a very special relationship with the Lord

whereby to know and understand the Lord's purposes in deal-

ing with Judah. Some of the things which had been revealed to

Daniel placed him in great perplexity, since he could not see

how what he had been shown could fit into what the Lord had

earlier predicted for Judah. The prophet therefore gives himself

to a special time of afflicting his soul for his own sin and the sin

of his people Israel, which has placed them in captivity. He

places himself in the role of an intercessor between God's

people and God Himself. In this respect he is acting as a true

servant of the Lord.

What does the prophet Joel say the leaders of God's people

are to do? Joel 2:17.



THINK IT THROUGH



How could the church today practice the example of Daniel

and the teaching of Joel noted in this lesson?

"We are now living in the great day of atonement. In the

typical service, while the high priest was making the atonement

for Israel, all were required to afflict their souls by repentance of

sin and humiliation before the Lord, lest they be cut off from

among the people. In like manner, all who would have their

names retained in the book of life should now, in the few remain-

ing days of their probation, afflict their souls before God by

sorrow for sin and true repentance. There must be deep, faithful

searching of heart. The light, frivolous spirit indulged by so

many professed Christians must be put away. There is earnest

warfare before all who would subdue the evil tendencies that

strive for the mastery.

The work of preparation is an individual

work. We are not saved in groups.

The purity and devotion of

one will not offset the want of these qualities in another."—The

Great Controversy,

pp. 489, 490. (Emphasis supplied.)

This does not mean that we cannot meet together in prayer

and confession of our failures as a people. Neither can such

group activity substitute for the individual repentance of the

individual soul.



FURTHER STUDY



The Great Controversy,

pp. 486-491.

We Wronged Him

LESSON 4



❑

Wednesday

April 19

Part 4

CONFESS TO

ONE ANOTHER

To whom beside God is confession to be made?

"Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for

another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer

of a righteous man availeth much" (James 5:16).

"Confess.Textual

evidence favors ... beginning v.16 with the

word "therefore." The prime requirement for sincere faith in

prayer is a clear conscience. Wrong deeds secretly done are to

be confessed also to those who have suffered injury. A guilty

conscience erects a barrier to unreserved reliance upon God

and will defeat prayer."—SDA

Bible Commentary, vol.

7, p. 541.

What is the connection between confession of sin and for-

giveness? James 5:16.

In commenting upon this text Ellen White interprets it as

follows: "Confess your sins to God, who only can forgive them,

and your faults to one another. If you have given offense to your

friend or neighbor, you are to acknowledge your wrong, and it is

his duty freely to forgive you. Then you are to seek forgiveness

of God, because the brother you have wounded is the property

of God, and in injuring him you sinned against his Creator and

Redeemer. The case is brought before the only true Mediator,

our great High Priest, who ... is able to cleanse from every stain

of iniquity. Hebrews

4:15."—Steps to Christ,

p. 37.

"We are to surrender our hearts to God, that He may renew

and sanctify us, and fit us for His heavenly court. We are not to

wait for some special time, but today we are to give ourselves to

Him, refusing to be the servants of sin. Do you imagine you can

leave off sin a little at a time? Oh, leave the accursed thing at

once! Hate the things that Christ hates, love the things that

Christ loves. Has He not by His death and suffering made provi-

sion for your cleansing from

sin?"—Selected Messages,

bk. 1,

p. 327.



THINK IT THROUGH



What is the substance of confession? Will a gift suffice?

"True confession is always of a specific character, and ac-

knowledges particular sins. They may be of such a nature as to

be brought before God only; they may be wrongs that should be

confessed to individuals who have suffered injury through

them; or they may be of a public character, and should then be

as publicly confessed. But all confession should be definite and

to the point, acknowledging the very sins of which you are

guilty."—Steps

to Christ,

p. 38.



FURTHER STUDY



Christ's Object Lessons,

"Asking to Give," p. 144;

Thoughts

From the Mount of Blessing,

"The Spirituality of the Law," p. 59.

We Wronged Him

LESSON 4



❑

Thursday

April 20

Part 5



What clear example does the Old Testament present of a

SPECIFIC specific acknowledgment of sin by the people of God?

CONFESSION

"And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray for thy servants

unto the Lord thy God, that we die not: for we have added unto

all our sins this evil, to ask us a king" (1 Sam. 12:19).

God's people Israel, desiring to be like the nations roun

about them, demanded of the Lord a king. They had been led for

many years by judges called by God, the last of whom w

Samuel the prophet. They were not satisfied and desired to

a king over them. They had been duly warned of the sad c

quences that would follow, but their desire to be like the na'.

round about them overwhelmed their loyalty to God and t(

chosen servants. So the Lord permitted judgments to fall u,

Israel, and they seemed quickly to become aware of the rear

for these judgments. It is noteworthy that in their confessio.

their wrongdoing they were explicit regarding the particular sin

THINK IT THROUGH

Can I expect the Lord to grant a blanket forgiveness for a

generalized confession of sinfulness or selfishness?

"In the days of Samuel the Israelites wandered from God

They were suffering the consequences of sin; for they had lost

their faith in God, lost their discernment of His power and

wisdom to rule the nation, lost their confidence in His ability to

defend and vindicate His cause. They turned from the great

Ruler of the universe and desired to be governed as were the

nations around them. Before they found peace they made this

definite confession: 'We have added unto all our sins this evil, to

ask us a king.' 1 Samuel 12:19. The very sin of which they were

convicted had to be confessed. Their ingratitude oppressed

their souls and severed them from God."—Steps

to Christ,

pp.

38, 39.

What parallel is seen in the experience of the apostle Paul in

his attitude toward his sin?Acts 26:9-11.

"Paul did not seek to shield himself; he paints his sin in its

darkest hue, not attempting to lessen his guilt. He says: 'Many of

the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from

the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my

voice against them. And I punished them oft in every

synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being ex-

ceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto

strange cities.' He does not hesitate to declare that 'Christ Jesus

came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.'

"—

Testimonies,

vol. 5, p. 641.

FURTHER STUDY



Patriarchs and Prophets,

pp. 605, 611, 615.

We Wronged Him

LESSON 4



❑

Friday

April 21



Part 6



No matter how great the evil done, what blessed assurance

"FAITHFUL is given to all who truly confess and forsake their sins?

AND JUST"

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us

our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John

1:9).

There probably is no more precious promise in all Sacred

Scripture than this unequivocal, unlimited assurance of for-

giveness and cleansing if we confess.

This overwhelming promise of God's mercy is surrounded by

warnings against our suggesting that we have no sins. The path

of hiding sins is a path that leads to destruction. Those who

follow such a course are deceiving themselves and show that

they do not have the truth in them; they are attempting to make

God untrue to Himself, and they thus show that His Word is not

in them. The glorious promise of separation from sin is for

whoever is willing to "confess" his sins.

It is interesting to notice the intent of the word "confess" in

this text—"to speak the same thing." We may see here a link

with the comment at the beginning of our lesson that confes-

sion is not always of sin, but may be a confession of faith in

Christ or a confessing of His name. Either way the confession

implies a speaking.

What attitude lends itself to genuine confession of sin? Ps.

34:18.



THINK IT THROUGH



Why does the spirit of self-justification not fit in with the

spirit of true confession?

"The spirit of self-justification originated in the father of lies

and has been exhibited by all the sons and daughters of Adam.

Confessions of this order are not inspired by the divine Spirit

and will not be acceptable to God. True repentance will lead a

man to bear his guilt himself and acknowledge it without decep-

tion or hypocrisy. Like the poor publican, not lifting up so much

as his eyes unto heaven, he will cry, 'God be merciful to me a

sinner,' and those who do acknowledge their guilt will be jus-

tified, for Jesus will plead His blood in behalf of the repentant

soul."—Steps

to Christ,

pp. 40, 41.

No human therapy can bathe the soul with the healing power

that comes from the assurance of acceptance with God on the

part of him who truly is penitent and brings his sins humbly and

with a broken heart to the cross of Calvary. Quickness to ac-

knowledge one's own faults and sins and slowness to accuse

another, are the results of the Spirit's work on the human heart.



FURTHER STUDY



Christ's Object Lessons,

"The Sower Went Forth to Sow,"

("Preparation of the Soil"; "In Good Ground"), pp. 56-59.

"Then said Jesus unto him, Except

see signs and wonders, ye will not

elieye" (John 4:48).

Did

you, ever try to wrestle with the,

question of the exact order.in which a

new believer takes the various steps to

—

Eh rist?-No•matter-how we•try

We find

there is no

one way

,which men and

women afe led to:befieye



the`Lord

Jesus Christ. So white .we have

stressed our reed. of Him, and how He

draws us to Him, ancrhow we must

come with, repentance and a

willingness lo corife'ss our sins and to

forsake them, there is no required

order in whi

Ch these various steps are

to be taken. If there is one thing which

all human beings have in common, it is

. how different we are from one

another—even identical twins. So let

us' acknowledge that the sequence we

have gi‘ien to these lessons is

somewhat arbitrary; and since it is, let

us pause this week to examine from a

little

—

different angle some of the steps

we have considered thus far.

It is not at all out of place today for us

to consider

our key text: "Except ye

see signs and wonders, ye will not

believe." There probably has never

been' a me. in human history when

this demand wasnriore widely made,

or when men and;women claim that

they can provide the signs and

Wonders essential to faith, if indeed

•

they are essential. The era of the

—charismatic is certainlyone.that laces_

top priority on signs and wonders.

. But you will recall. that the man to

whom.Jesus spoke these words

eventually, put,

his trust in the Lord

without' any evidence of sign or

wonder. That is, no sign or wond

had.been performed for him, th

unquestionably he had heard of w

the. Lord had done for others.

So who is going to have a spiri

repentance in, his heart or be willin

confess and forsake his sins, if he d

not believe, if he does not trust in

and in Hi's precious promises?

oing to believe on the Lord Jes

hrist unto salvation if he does n

trust implicitly His every word? So w

have a vital lesson before us this week

"Not because we see or feel that

God hears us are We to believe. We are-

to trust in His promises. When we

come to Him in faith, every petition

enters the heart of. God."—The

Desire

of Ages,

p. 200.

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

"The Man Believed"

(John 4:50) •

The Woman Believed

(John 4:28, 29)

Man From Galilee?

(John 7:41)

Man From Above

(John 3:31)

You May Believe

(John 20:30, 31)

When You Pray

(Mark 11:24)

We Trust Him

LESSON 5



❑

Sunday

April 23

Part 1

"THE MAN

BELIEVED"

What made the faith of the Jewish nobleman so outstanding

as to receive a place in the inspired record of the Gospels?

"Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the

man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and

he went his way" (John 4:50).

In many repspects the Jewish nobleman had characteristics

which most of us can acknowledge that we share. He was

influenced by status, prestige, outward appearance, material

influence, possessions, and authority.

The nobleman's son was at the point of death, and the

urgency of the situation led this man of authority to undertake

the search for Jesus. He would entrust this responsibility to n

one else. Finding Jesus, he was greatly disappointed by what

saw—none of the human trappings of influence, authority,

power. Doubt jabbed at his heart, but in his desperation

made known his request to the Saviour, making the answer

his need the evidence upon which he would or would not b

lieve on Christ as the Messiah. It was then that the words of our

key text for the week were spoken by the Lord: '`Except ye see,

signs and wonders, ye will not believe" (John 4:48).

Suddenly the Jewish nobleman was confronted with the fact

that his own unbelief and his entirely selfish motives could cost

the life of his son. Realizing now that he was in the presence of

Him who read his innermost thoughts, he cast himself upon the

Saviour's mercy: "Sir, come down ere my child die." The re-

sponse of the Saviour came immediately, "Go thy way, thy son

liveth." Though he has no tangible evidence, no telecommuni-

cation from his home, the nobleman is satisfied that his son is

well. So much so that he does not even rush home. He now

trusts the Saviour implicitly.



THINK IT THROUGH



When have I exercised as trusting a faith as that of the

Jewish nobleman?

"The Saviour longs to give us a greater blessing than we ask;

and He delays the answer to our request that He may show us

the evil of our own hearts, and our deep need of His grace. He

desires us to renounce the selfishness that leads us to seek Him

Confessing our helplessness and bitter need, we are to trust

ourselves wholly to His love."—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 200.



FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pp. 196-200.

We Trust Him

LESSON 5



❑

Monday

April 24

Part 2



What made a believer out of the Samaritan woman at the

THE WOMAN well?

BELIEVED

THINK IT THROUGH

"The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into

the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man, which told me

all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?" (John 4:28, 29).

"Left her waterpot.

She was on the point of leaving, her

waterpot filled (DA 183), when the disciples returned from the

village with food for Jesus. She was eager to reach the village

and tell others of her great discovery, and did not care to be

slowed by the heavy waterpot. She had experienced

desire,

conviction,

and

decision . . . ,

and the next logical step was

action-she

went to tell others of her great discovery. This tes-

tified to the reality of her decision. The waiting waterpot was

mute evidence of her intention to return without delay."—SDA

Bible Commentary,

vol. 5, p. 941.

Doubtless a number of factors led the woman of Samaria to

put her trust in Jesus as the Messiah. It is evident that He won

her attention, aroused her interest, awakened her desire, and

led her to perceive who it was that spoke to her. He, a Jew, had

taken the unthinkable initiative to speak to a Samaritan woman.

But having led her to request of Him that living water springing

up into everlasting life, she suddenly had the veil of anonymity

swept away from her soul and became exposed to the blazing

light of the Saviour's purity.

While she attempted to parry the, exposure by theological

argument and racial prejudice, it occurred to her sin-darkened

mind that this Man acted as she would expect the Messiah to

act. When she gave tentative expression to such a possibility,

she received the glorious revelation, "I that speak unto thee am

he" (verse 26).

Could it be that the path of having our sins exposed between

ourselves and the Lord would be the path of genuine faith?

How can this happen?

"As the woman talked with Jesus, she was impressed with His

words.... As the past of her life had been spread out before her,

she had been made sensible of her great want.... Nothing that

had hitherto come in contact with her had so awakened her to a

higher need. Jesus had convinced her that He read the secrets

of her life; yet she felt that He was her friend, pitying and loving

her. While the very purity of His presence condemned her sin,

He had spoken no word of denunciation, but had told her of His

grace, that could renew the soul."—The

Desire of Ages,

pp. 189,

190.

FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pp. 190-195.

4-ASSL 2-78



We Trust Him



LESSON 5



❑

Tuesday

April 25



Part 3



What prejudice discouraged many from believing on Jesus

MAN FROM Christ?

GALILEE?

"Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ

come out of Galilee?" (John 7:41).

It perhaps should not surprise us if today national and racial

and social prejudices throw up barriers between men. Such

barriers are undoubtedly as old as sin itself.

A long-standing prejudice existed in Jerusalem against the

more open, liberty-loving, uninhibited people of Galilee. Jewish

tradition had determined that since Christ was of the seed of

David and Bethlehem was David's town, then Christ must come

out of Bethlehem and not out of Galilee. While He was to be born

in Bethlehem, when He should make His debut no one would

know from whence He had come. This idea is reflected in the

words, "Howbeit we know this man whence he is: but when

Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is" (John 7:27).

So the enemy of God and man contrives to place stumbling

blocks in the path of faith. And human pride accepts these

devious prejudices rather than the simple, straightforward

statements of the Word of God.



THINK IT THROUGH



Is there any assurance whereby one can know what indeed

is the truth of God?

"The preaching and teaching of His word is one of the means

that God has ordained for diffusing light; but we must bring

every man's teaching to the test of Scripture. Whoever will

prayerfully study the Bible, desiring to know the truth, that he

may obey it, will receive divine enlightenment. He will under-

stand the Scriptures. 'If any man willeth to do His will, he shall

know of the teaching.' John 7:17, R.V."—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 459.

There is a sobering thought in the realization that the Jews of

Christ's day were the chosen people of God, yet in large mea-

sure they failed to recognize the identity of the true Messiah

when He came to them. Thus it behooves every one of us to ask

earnestly, Am I absorbing the prejudices of others? Am I permit-

ting others to determine what I shall believe? Am I permitting

others to dictate to me what is truth? Am I permitting others to

share with me their pride and their prejudice while the Saviour

stands waiting at the heart's door, knocking, waiting, and

knocking. If we keep Him outside the heart's door, can He bring

repentance and confession to us as means of receiving His

forgiveness and cleansing from sin?



FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pp. 455-460.

We Trust Him

LESSON 5



❑

Wednesday

April 26

Part 4



What is Christ's origin and position?

MAN FROM

ABOVE



"He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the

earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh

from heaven is above all" (John 3:31).

These noble words spoken by the forerunner of Christ, John

the Baptist, are a measure of the faith of John in Christ's divine

origin. It was a measure also of John's complete self-

abnegation—his willingness to direct attention and honor to

another. The multitudes had flocked out to the wilderness to

hear him; now John directed them to One whose sandal he felt

unworthy to loose.

What characteristics of John the Baptist enabled him to

recognize Christ as the Messiah? (See John 3:25-30.)

"Looking in faith to the Redeemer, John had risen to the

height of self-abnegation. He sought not to attract men to him-

self, but to lift their thoughts higher and still higher, until they

should rest upon the Lamb of God. He himself had been only a

voice, a cry in the wilderness. Now with joy he accepted silence

and obscurity, that the eyes of all might be turned to the Light of

ife."—Testimonies,

vol. 8, p. 333.

"We can receive of heaven's light only as we are willing to be

emptied of self. We cannot discern the character of God, or

accept Christ by faith, unless we consent to the bringing into

captivity of every thought to the obedience of Christ. To all who

do this the Holy Spirit is given without measure. In Christ 'dwell-

eth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and in Him ye are

made full.' Col. 2:9, 10, R.V."—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 181.

THINK IT THROUGH

What lessons can I learn from the attitudes of John the

Baptist?

"John had by nature the faults and weaknesses common to

humanity, but the touch of divine love had transformed him. He

dwelt in an atmosphere uncontaminated with selfishness and

ambition, and far above the miasma of jealousy. He manifested

no sympathy with the dissatisfaction of his disciples, but

showed how clearly he understood his relation to the Messiah,

and how gladly he welcomed the One for whom he had pre-

pared the way."—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 179.

The penitent believer's trust in Jesus thrives on humility and

self-abnegation—the spirit of Him who said, "lam among you as

he that serveth" (Luke 22:27).

FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pp. 178-182.

We Trust Him

LESSON 5



❑

Thursday

April 27

Part 5



What is the essential basis upon which all faith in Jesus

YOU MAY Christ depends?

BELIEVE

"And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his

disciples, which are not written in this book: but these are

written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son

of God; and that believing ye might have life through his

name" (John 20:30, 31).

We may wish to assert it again and again in our studies this

quarter. Our faith in Jesus Christ is anchored in the inspired

Word of God, and most specifically in the records of the Gospels

which tell us who He was, what He was, and how and why He

was our Redeemer.

Some critics accuse Christians of bibliolatry, as opposed to

idolatry. They say that, while we renounce idol worship in all

forms, we actually worship the Bible, that we idolize this book,

that we give it a reverence and a deference and a confidence

which no book merits. On the other hand, about 300 years ago

rationalistic scholars, in the period known as the enlighten-

ment, determined that the Bible was only a piece of literature

like any other book and should be tested and evaluated and

criticized on the same basis as any other ancient book. But

neither viewpoint is that of the apostle John. He wrote to provide

a basis for our faith in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God. Those

who approach the study of John's Gospel and the other inspired

books with this expectation find food for their soul and the

ground for their faith. Tasting and seeing, they find that the Lord

indeed is good, and that He fulfills all His promises.

What parallel is there between Christ's miracles of physical

healing and His work of healing sin-sick souls?

In the healing of the man sick with palsy, Jesus plainly stated,

"That ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to

forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up

thy bed, and go unto thine house" (Matt. 9:6).

"From the simple Bible account of how Jesus healed the sick,

we may learn something about how to believe in Him for the

forgiveness of sins."—Steps

to Christ,

p. 50.

It is our privilege similarly to receive spiritual cleansing. If we

will believe Christ's promise, confess our sins, give ourselves to

God, place our will on His side, then God can do for us what He

has promised. He will forgive and He will cleanse.

"Do not wait to

feel

that you are made whole, but say, 'I believe

it; it

so, not because I feel it, but because God has

promised.'

"—Steps to Christ,

p. 51.

FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

p. 126.

We Trust Him

LESSON 5



❑

Friday

April 28



Part 6



When I pray for cleansing, grace, and power, how may I be

WHEN YOU assured that I have received them?

PRAY

"What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that

ye receive them, and ye shall have them" (Mark 11:24).

Some turn away from taking this precious promise at its face

value because they say all God's promises are conditioned by

His will. In other words, if I should happen to not pray according

to God's will, then I cannot claim His promises, I cannot believe

in them implicitly or make them my own. This type of precaution

may be very much in order when we are praying for blessings on

the value of which we are not entirely clear—such things as

health, wealth, and long life. But the things of which we are

speaking in this lesson and throughout the lessons of this quar-

ter are unquestionably in harmony with His will.

"It is the will of God to cleanse us from sin, to make us His

children, and to enable us to live a holy life. So we may ask for

these blessings, and believe that we receive them, and thank

God that we have received them. It is our privilege to go to Jesus

and be cleansed, and to stand before the law without shame or

remorse. 'There is therefore now no condemnation to them

which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after

the Spirit.' Romans

8:1."—Steps to Christ,

p. 51.



THINK IT THROUGH



Why am I so prone to forget what once I knew and believed

regarding the promises of God?

It is human nature to forget. It is interesting to see from a Bible

concordance how often the word "remember" appears, and the

word "forget."

We need a continuing growth in grace that parallels our first

experience in Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul counsels "As ye

have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in

him" (Col. 2:6).

"Now that you have given yourself to Jesus, do not draw back,

do not take yourself away from Him, but day by day say, 'I am

Christ's; I have given myself to Him;' and ask Him to give you His

Spirit and keep you by His grace. As it is by giving yourself to

God, and believing Him, that you become His child, so you are to

live in Him. . . .

"Some seem to feel that they must be on probation, and must

prove to the. Lord that they'are reformed, before they can claim

His blessing. But they may claim the blessing of God even now.

They must have His grace, the Spirit of Christ, to help their

infirmities, or they cannot resist evil. Jesus loves to have us

come to Him just as we are,. sinful, helpless, dependent."—

Steps to Christ,

p. 52.



FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pp. 426-431.

LESSON 6 April 30 to May 6

"Submit yourselves therefore to

God. Resist the devil, and he will flee

from you" (James 4:7).

No one in the New Testament

speaks about belief or believing more

frequently than the apostle John. The

expression is almost the key word of

his Gospel. Why should that be? John

is endeavoring to establish a basis

upon which his readers can accept

Christ as divine. In our lesson last

week we stressed the element of trust

in our faith. In this week's lesson we

would stress submission,

commitment, adherence, and

steadfastness as additional elements

of this experience of faith. Indeed

there is no one word, either in the

original language or in our modern

languages, that covers all the shades of

significance of this vital matter of

belief or faith.

James in his epistle tells us that the

devils believe, but their belief does

not bring them joy, peace, or

satisfaction. When they think about

what they know and believe about

God, the devils shudder and tremble.

(See James 2:19.) Yet within two or

three verses, James is holding up

Abraham as an example of one who

believed God—the same expression

as he used of the devils. But surely

there must haVe been some difference

in the kind of believing done by the

devils and the believing

done

Abraham, because, while the devils

tremble, they are devils still. But

Abraham is counted as righteous and

is called "the friend of God" (James

2:23).

Since the same root word is used for

"faith" and "belief" throughout the

New Testament, we must of necessity

derive any shades of difference from

the setting in which the term is used.

This week we are going to draw upon a

number of occasions when people

were in conflict about Jesus Christ—in

conflict over His claims to be the Son

of God, to be the Sent of Heaven.

Some were persistent enemies like the

Pharisees and Sadducees, while

others were simply ignorant of who

Christ claimed to be and what He had

come to do. In a number of instances

these humble, less informed people

came to believe, submitted, and

counted themselves followers of Jesus

Christ despite bitter opposition,

ridicule, and threats of

excommunication.

Jesus Christ was concerned that

men should believe Him to be who He

claimed to be. Unless they did so, He

could not do anything to save them.

The success of the gospel depends on

our acceptance of it. We quote John

3:16 freely, but we tend to forget verse

18: "He that believeth not is

condemned already, because he hath

not believed in the name of the only

begotten Son of God." So this is a

life-and-death matter—eternal life and

eternal death indeed.

The opposite of sLibmission and

commitment is independence and a

wait-and-see attitude. So the words of

James are appropriate: "Submit

yourselves therefore to God. Resist

the devil, and he will flee from you.

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw

nigh to you" (James 4:7,

Too many

submit the control of their lives to the

devil and to themselves and thus resist

God. Let us give earnest thought, as

we study together this week, to what it

really means to us to submit to Him

who is "the way, the truth, and the

life."

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

Servants of Sin

(John 8:34)

"Ye Shall Die"

(John 8:24)

"He Shall Know"

(John 7:17)

"They Did Not Confess"

(John 12:42, 43)

"He Worshipped Him"

(John 9:35-38)

"Many Believed on Hi

(John 10:41, 42)

We Yield to Him

LESSON 6



❑

Sunday

April 30

Part 1

SERVANTS

OF SIN

Does a sinner control his own life?

"Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you,

Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin" (John 8:34).

The setting in which Jesus spoke these words was a conver-

sation with some Jews who had come to believe on Him. He

indicated that if they would continue in His word, then they

would be His disciples and they would come to know the truth

and the truth would make them free. This tended to rouse their

national and racial feelings. They insisted that, as the descend-

ants of Abraham, they were never in bondage to anybody. How

could He say to them, You will be made free? Jesus' answer was

our text for today. It implied that, regardless of ancestry or

family tree, if a man sins, he is the slave, the servant of sin, and is

not free.

How can a man who is in slavery to sin become free?

Verse 36.

Perhaps the freest man in all the New Testament, other than

Christ, was the man who repeatedly presented himself as the

bond-servant or slave of Jesus Christ—the apostle Paul. It was

he who understood so clearly the nature of freedom and bond-

age.

THINK IT THROUGH



Whose servant or slave am I?

FURTHER STUDY

"Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to

obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto

death, or of obedience unto righteousness?"

"For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from

righteousness."

"But now being made free from sin, and become servants to

God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting

life" (Rom. 6:16, 20, 22).

"If we indulge anger, lust, covetousness, hatred, selfishness,

or any other sin, we become servants of sin. 'No man can serve

two masters.' If we serve sin, we cannot serve Christ. The Chris-

tian will feel the promptings of sin, for the flesh lusteth against

the Spirit; but the Spirit striveth against the flesh, keeping up a

constant warfare. Here is where Christ's help is needed. Human

weakness becomes united to divine strength, and faith

exclaims, 'Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory

through our Lord Jesus Christ!'

"—Messages to Young People,

p. 114.

The Desire of Ages,

p. 466.

We Yield to Him

LESSON 6



❑

Monday

May 1

Part 2 . How vital an issue is it whether or not we believe on the Lord

"YE SHALL Jesus Christ as the Saviour of the world?

DIE"

"I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if

ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins" (John

8:24).

It would be difficult to find any time or place in human history

when Christ was more forthright, more specific, and more ob-

jective with men than on this occasion. As we have said before,

this matter of believing that Christ was who He claimed to be,

was and is a matter of life and death. This is a reiteration of the

truth spoken earlier in John 3:16-18, to the effect that whoever

believes not is already condemned. This results from not believ-

ing on Him who alone can deliver from the sentence which

Heaven pronounces against sin and sinners.

THINK IT THROUGH



What is the only effective means of deliverance from

bondage and from the death which is the wages of sin?

"In the work of redemption there is no compulsion. No exter-

nal force is employed. Under the influence of the Spirit of God,

man is left free to choose whom he will serve. In the change that

takes place when the soul surrenders to Christ, there is the

highest sense of freedom. The expulsion of sin is the act of the

soul itself. True, we have no power to free ourselves from Sa-

tan's control; but when we desire to be set free from sin, and in

our great need cry out for a power out of and above ourselves,

the powers of the soul are imbued with the divine energy of the

Holy Spirit, and they obey the dictates of the will in fulfilling the

will of God.

"The only condition upon which the freedom of man is possi-

ble is that of becoming one with Christ. 'The truth shall make

you free;' and Christ is the truth. Sin can triumph only by en-

feebling the mind, and destroying the liberty of the soul. Subjec-

tion to God is restoration to one's self,—to the true glory and

dignity of man. The divine law, to which we are brought into

subjection, is 'the law of liberty.' James 2:12."—The

Desire of

Ages,

p. 466.

It is difficult for students in many parts of the world today to

imagine what it meant to be an open follower of Jesus Christ

when He was here. Those who have been disowned, consigned

to a mental home, or divorced because they have accepted

Christ can have some idea. Yet Jesus placed a terrible dilemma

before men when He plainly stated that rejection of Him was the

same as choosing to die in one's sins. It may not be long before

belief is going to involve deep commitment everywhere.

FURTHER STUDY



Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing,

"The Spirituality of the

Law," (Matt. 5:30), pp. 60-63.

We Yield to Him

LESSON 6



❑

Tuesday

May 2

Part 3

"HE SHALL

KNOW"

THINK IT THROUGH

What connection is there between a man's willingness to

obey God and his capacity for knowing truth?

"If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine,

whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself" (John 7:17).

This text is very much in the center of our subject and concern

because understanding of truth comes to those willing to sub-

mit to Him who is the truth. Jesus actually indicated that those

who were willing to do His will and His 'Father's will would know

whether His teaching was of God or merely from a man. This

clearly suggests that there would be a harmony between the

individual soul and Heaven, and that there would be an en-

lightening of the mind and the development of a blessed assur-

ance as to what is truth.

"In order to do the will of God, we must search His word, that

we may know His doctrine, and put to the task all our entrusted

ability. We must be diligent in prayer, and fervent in simple,

wholehearted service to God. Those who are engaged as

teachers in the Sabbath school should hunger and thirst for

divine truth, that they may impart this Spirit to those under their

care, and lead their pupils to seek for truth as for hidden

treasure."—Counsels

on Sabbath School Work,

p. 73.

How can I distinguish between those who speak for God and

those who speak from their own human wisdom only?

"Man's advantages for obtaining a knowledge of the truth,

however great these may be, will prove of no benefit to him

unless the heart is open to receive the truth, and there is a

conscientious surrender of every habit and practice that is op-

posed to its principles. To those who thus yield themselves to

God, having an honest desire to know and to do His will, the

truth is revealed as the power of God for their salvation. These

will be able to distinguish between him who speaks for God, and

him who speaks merely from himself."—The

Desire of Ages,

pp.

455, 456.

It would seem self evident that there would be a very close

relationship between knowing that Christ was speaking from

God and for God and believing in Him. It would seem illogical

and unnatural to make a commitment of one's self to a person in

whom he did not believe, in whom he could not have confi-

dence, in whose word he could not trust. It seems therefore that

there is indeed a very close correlation between this text in John

7:17 and the primary concern of this lesson—namely, that we

submit to, commit to, wish to remain steadfast to, and have

confidence in, Him who we believe speaks for God. And this

belief, indeed this knowledge, this assurance, will come "if any

man will do his will."

FURTHER STUDY



Steps to Christ,

"What to Do With Doubt," pp. 109-113.

We Yield to Him

LESSON 6



111 Wednesday

May 3

Part 4

"THEY DID

NOT CONFESS"

THINK IT THROUGH

We have already seen that there are different qualities to

"believing." We have been reminded that the devils believe and

tremble. In the text before us today we have a most interesting

situation in which men believe in Christ at the same time that

they are unwilling to "confess Him."

What kind of belief is it that will not permit the believer to

confess what is believed?

"Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed

on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess

him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: for they

loved the praise of men more than the praise of God" (John

12:42, 43).

Here is a clear contextual evidence that the word "belief" can

have various shades of meaning. Perhaps we would not be

ready to put these "chief rulers" in the same category with the

devils who believe and tremble, but can we put them in the

category of true believers? Did they really believe that, Jesus.

Christ was who He claimed to be? What price were these men

willing to pay for their belief that He was the true Messiah? What

degree of commitment of themselves were they ready to make

to Him? How far would they let Him redirect their lives, trans-

form their entire life-style, reshape their interests and priorities?

These are pertinent questions, not merely for the men of whom

we have just read, but they are pertinent questions for us today.

What quality of faith or belief in Christ do we have? It is not

without reason that we hear that the measure of a man's faith is

the price he is willing to pay to be true to his faith, or, conversely,

the price at which he will sell out his faith.

Could I possibly have an intellectual belief in Christ which

would not support a willingness to submit and commit all of my

wayslo His direction and will? What will be the results of a

correct faith in Jesus?

"To save themselves from reproach and shame, they [the

chief rulers] denied Christ, and rejected the offer of eternal life.

And how many through all the centuries since have been doing

the same thing! To them all the Saviour's warning words apply:

'He that loveth his life shall lose it.' He that rejecteth Me,' said

Jesus, 'and receiveth not My words, hath one that judgeth him:

the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last

day.' John 12:48."—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 626.

FURTHER STUDY



Christ's Object Lessons,

"Hidden Treasure," pp. 104-106.

We Yield to Him

LESSON 6



❑

Thursday

May 4



Part 5



The entire ninth chapter of John's Gospel is taken up with the

"HE WORSHIPPED

inspired account of the healing of the man born blind. It would

HIM"

be well to read the account again in order to sense the signifi-

cance of the text upon which we shall concentrate today.

You will recall that Jesus restored sight to this man on the

Sabbath day, and this gave the Pharisees the occasion to chal-

lenge the authenticity of the miracle and the claims of Christ as

to who He was. In the process, they tried to draw the parents of

the man born blind into the contest in the hopes of countering

and even denying the miracle of healing which had taken place.

In a remarkable way the healed man outshone his parents,

whose fears silenced any convictions they might have had re-

garding the fact of the miracle or who performed it. The man

himself courageously and effectively met the reasoning of his

accusers and confronted them with some Spirit-directed argu-

ments which they could not adequately answer. At least they

would not. In stubborn unbelief the Pharisees and rulers cast

this man out of the synagogue.

How did Christ provide the healed man an opportunity to

reveal the quality of his faith?

"Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had

found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of

God? He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might

believe on him? And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen

him, and it is he that talketh with thee. And he said, Lord, I

believe. And he worshipped him" (John 9:35-38).

Here is a man whose faith involved commitment and a sub-

mission of his own will.to the will of God, even if it cost him his

place in the synagogue. (Remember that being cast out of the

synagogue was equivalent to excommunication with dread

consequences for the individual and his family.)

"Already, at great cost to himself, he had acknowledged Him

as a delegate of divine power; now a higher revelation was

granted him."—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 474.

When Christ revealed Himself to the blind man as the One

Sent by God, the man whose natural sight had been restored

had also the eyes of his understanding open and he received

Christ.



THINK IT THROUGH



What price have I paid for my belief in Christ?

In his full recognition of the identity of Jesus Christ, the

healed blind man worshiped Him. There may very well be an

illustration here of the close correlation between worship, faith,

commitment, submission, and obedience.



FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pp. 471-475.

We Yield to Him

LESSON 6



❑

Friday

May 5

Part 6



What contrast does the Gospel of John provide between the

"MANY convincing power of miracles and the convincing power of

BELIEVED fulfilled prophecy?

ON HIM"

"And many resorted unto him, and said, John did no mira-

cle: but all things that John spake of this man were true. And

many believed on him there" (John 10:41, 42).

These words are the witness borne to John the Baptist after

his death by those who had heard what he had to say about

Jesus. They noted that while John did no miracle unlike Elijah or

Moses before him, all that he said about Christ had proved true,

with the result that many at this time and place believed on

Christ.

In this time of interest in charismatics, when so many are

pointing to apparent miracles as proof of truth, it is well to

remember this testimony concerning John the Baptist. If our

faith in Jesus Christ is dependent upon miracles, we may find

miracles coming from strange sources that will lead us to be-

lieve that which is contrary to the Inspired Word of God. It

should not be the miracles that lead to the acceptance of the

Word, but the acceptance of the Word should bethe test of what

is and what is not truly a miracle.

THINK IT THROUGH

Upon what is my confidence in the Lord based? Is it some-

thing which could be readily counterfeited? (Read 2 Peter

1:19.)

We recall the setting for this statement of the apostle Peter.

He has been describing the experience shared with Christ on

the mount of transfiguration when he saw a miniature of the

coming kingdom of glory. There was no question in Peter's

mind as to the reality of his experience, the voice which he

heard, the light which shone round about them, the illumination

of the Saviour. But certain as Peter was of this reality—a

miraculous experience indeed—he pointed to the prophetic

word as something more sure, more certain, more reliable, even

than the phenomenal experience on the transfiguration moun-

taintop.

This is perhaps one of the most significant commentaries

upon the quality of our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. In the days

when spiritism under many guises will perform undoubted

miracles, in what shall we put our trust? Whose testimony shall

we receive? To avoid deception we need the qualities of faith

about which we have been studying in this week's lesson—

submission, commitment, willingness to do God's will, willing-

ness to make our commitment known, and a leaning upon the

Word of inspiration as opposed to the performance of miracles.

With such a faith, many others will come to receive our tes-

timony.

FURTHER STUDY



The Great Controversy,

pp. 312, 349, 459.

LESSON 7 May 7-13

"Wherefore I say unto thee, Her

sins, which are many, are forgiven; for

she loved much: but to whom little is

forgiven, the same loveth little. And he

said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.

And they that sat at meat with him

began to say within themselves, Who

is this that forgiveth sins also? And he

said to the woman, Thy faith hath

saved thee; go in peace" (Luke

7:47-50).

We have taken Luke's account of

Christ's forgiveness of the sins of the

woman who came and anointed His

feet with costly spikenard. Only Luke

associates Mary's act with Christ's

statement of His forgiveness. It caused

no little stir among the guests of the

feast at Simon's house that Christ

would speak as though He could

forgive sins. That is the blessed good

news of this lesson. He forgave that

woman. Her sin was such as might lead

many of us to say, "I thank God that I

am not like that woman." Jesus did not

hide her sins or rationalize them away.

He acknowledged that her sins were

many, and He could have said that

they were grievous. But He did say that

they were forgiven. Because her sins

were so many, and their result so

devastating, her love for Him was

greater than that shown by many

others whom He had forgiven. The

Lord does not mean that we should

wish that we had sinned more so that

we could love more, having more

forgiveness. What we ought to ask

ourselves is why we do not love Him

more, considering our sins that He has

forgiven.

On what grounds can God forgive

our sins, provided that we have met

the conditions? On what grounds can

He be just and yet the justifier of him

that believeth in Christ Jesus? He can

do it because He has paid the penalty

for our sins in His Son Jesus Christ who

became our Sin Bearer. Though He

knew no sin, He became sin for us. He

was treated as sinners deserve to be

treated and will be if they believe not

on the Lord Jesus Christ. Because He

was treated as we deserve to be

treated, God is going to treat us as

Jesus deserved to be treated, since He

was without sin. Jesus was counted a

sinner that we might be counted

righteous. We cannot be counted

righteous while clinging to known sin.

So forgiveness of known sins is

essential to being counted righteous

or justified.

Let us believe, as we study this

week, that God wants to forgive us

personally and individually, and that

when He forgives us, He counts us as

though we had never sinned. This is

the almost unbelievable glory of the

love and mercy of God in Christ Jesus.

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

"Without Shedding of Blood"

(Heb. 9:22)

"As We Forgive"

(Matt. 6:12)

"Power . . . to Forgive Sins"

(Matt. 9:6)

"Peace With God"

(Rom. 5:1)

"Neither Do I' Condemn Thee"

(John 8:11)

The Kiss of Peace

(Ps. 85:10)

We Are Forgiven Through Him

LESSON 7



❑

Sunday

May 7



Part 1



What truth about forgiveness is taught by the ceremonial

"WITHOUT law?

SHEDDING



OF BLOOD"



"And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and

without shedding of blood is no remission" (Heb. 9:22).

There is a principle recalled by every sacrifice from the very

gates of the Garden of Eden until the moment when Christ

became the Lamb of God slain for the sins of the world. That

principle is that forgiveness of sins requires death. We add "of

sins" because that is the entire function of the sacrificial sys-

tem. Forgiveness and remission are virtually identical in the

original. The antitype of the sacrifices is the ground or basis for

our forgiveness..Jesus Christ on Calvary's cross shed His blood

in the act of becoming our. Sin Bearer.

Where was the decision for our redemption sealed? Luke

22:41, 42.

"Christ [in Gethsemane] was now standing in a different at-

titude from that in which He had ever stood before. His suffering

can best be described in the words of the prophet, 'Awake, 0

sword, against My shepherd, and against the man that is My

fellow, saith the Lord of hosts.' Zech. 13:7. As the substitute and

surety for sinful man, Christ was suffering under divine justice.

He saw what justice meant. Hitherto He had been as an interces-

sor for others; now He longed to have an intercessor for

Himself."—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 686.

This is the struggle that brought the blood sweat and broke

the heart of the Saviour. This was the price paid for our forgive-

ness. How can we question His love or His willingness to forgive

when He paid such a price to make it possible?



THINK IT THROUGH



Have I accepted Gethsemane and Calvary as mine?

"Jesus loves to have us come to Him just as we are, sinful,

helpless, dependent. We may come with all our weakness, our

folly, our sinfulness, and fall at His feet in penitence. It is His

glory to encircle us in the arms of His love and to bind up our

wounds, to cleanse us from all impurity.



•

"Here is where thousands fail; they do not believe that Jesus

pardons them personally, individually. They do not take God at

His word. It is the privilege of all who comply with the conditions

to know for themselves that pardon is freely extended for every

sin. Put away the suspicion that God's promises are not meant

for you. They are for every repentant transgressor. Strength and

grace have been provided through Christ to be brought by

ministering angels to every believing soul."—Steps

to Christ,

pp. 52, 53.



FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pp. 685-693.

We Are Forgiven Through Him

LESSON 7



❑

Monday

May 8

' Part 2



' Since Christ has shed His blood for the forgiveness of our

"AS WE sins, is there anything we need to do about it?

FORGIVE"

"And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors" (Matt.

6:12).

THINK IT THROUGH

From childhood most of us have prayed the Lord's Prayer,

including this particular petition. Have we really thought about

its significance? If God truly forgives us only to the degree that

we forgive others their trespasses against us, how is it with us?

As we come to offer our gifts of penitence and prayer, asking

forgiveness, do we need to go and be reconciled to a brother

somewhere before we can come and offer our gifts?

After He had given what we speak of as the Lord's Prayer,

Jesus went on to repeat, "For if ye forgive men their trespasses,

your heavenly Father will also forgive you: but if ye forgive not

men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your tres-

passes" (verses 14, 15).

It may lead us to wonder whether Jesus felt that this was the

most difficult part of the Lord's Prayer for us to enter into—the

conditions on which forgiveness would be granted to us.

What other conditions are there to receiving God's forgive-

ness of our sins, apart from a willingness to forgive others?

(See 1 Tim. 5:24, 25; Rev. 20:12, 13.)

"Some men's sins are open beforehand, confessed in peni-

tence, and forsaken, and they go beforehand to judgment. Par-

don is written over against the names of theie men. But other

men's sins follow after, and they are not put away by repentance

and confession, and these sins will stand registered against

them in the books of heaven."—Ellen G. White Comments,

SDA

Bible Commentary, vol.

7, p. 916.

Is there a limit to the frequency with which forgiveness

should be granted? Matt. 18:21, 22. (See Luke 17:3, 4.)

"He who harbors within himself the idea that at some future

time he will not forgive, is far from extending true forgiveness

even though he may go through the form of forgiving. If the

spirit of forgiveness actuates the heart, a person will be as ready

to forgive a repentant soul the eighth time as thefirst time, or the

491st time as the eighth. True forgiveness is not limited by

numbers; furthermore, it is not the act that counts, but the spirit

that prompts the act. 'Nothing can justify an unforgiving spirit'

(COL 251)."—SDA

Bible Commentary,

vol. 5, p. 449.

FURTHER STUDY



Christ's Object Lessons,

"The Measure of Forgiveness," pp.

247-251.

We Are Forgiven Through Him

LESSON 7



❑

Tuesday

May 9



Part 3



What vivid example does the New Testament offer us of

"POWER . . . Christ's clear recognition of His own right to forgive sins?

TO FORGIVE



SINS"



"But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on

earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,)

Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house" (Matt. 9:6).

The Desire of Ages

gives us a number of significant points on

this healing of the paralytic. (1) His disease was the result of a

life of sin. (2) Remorse had embittered his sufferings. (3) He had

been renounced by Pharisees and doctors. (4) He had fallen into

utter despair until he heard of the works of Jesus. (5) The reports

of the healings of others as sinful as himself encouraged his

faith. (6) He feared the purity of the Christ-physician. (7) He

yearned for relief from the burden of sin even more than for

physical restoration. (8) His condition was critical and there was

no time to lose. (9) It was the paralytic's own suggestion that

they enter Peter's crowded house through the flat roof. (10)

Christ had convicted the conscience of the paralytic while he

was yet at home. (11) Christ had watched the man's faith grow

as he conquered each obstacle to come to the Lord.

This background explains Christ's immediate word, "Son, be

of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee" (Matt. 9:2). Note that

the paralytic makes no further request. Christ reads the hearts

of the Pharisees present as He challenges which would be

greater, to forgive sins or to cause the man to walk. Without

awaiting their decision, He gives the command to the paralytic

after a clear indication that He will now demonstrate "that the

Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins."

To the paralytic He says, "Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto

thine house." The Gospels record the glorious results.



THINK IT THROUGH



Can you turn away from such a Saviour?

"Oh, wondrous love of Christ, stooping to heal the guilty and

the afflicted! Divinity sorrowing over and soothing the ills of

suffering humanity! Oh, marvelous power thus displayed to the

children of men! Who can doubt the message of salvation? Who

can slight the mercies of a compassionate Redeemer?"—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 269.

How did the healing of the paralytic demonstrate Christ's

right and power to forgive sins?

"He who at the creation 'spake, and it was,' who 'com-

manded, and it stood fast,' (Ps. 33:9), had spoken life to the soul

dead in trespasses and sins. The healing of the body was an

evidence of the power that had renewed the heart."—The

De-

sire of Ages,

p. 270.



FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pp. 267-271.

We Are Forgiven Through Him

LESSON 7



❑

Wednesday

May 10

Part 4

"PEACE WITH

GOD"

What is the basis for a man's peace with God?

"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God

through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom. 5:1).

We may question in our minds what connection justification

may have with forgiveness. We may agree that being justified by

faith produces peace with God but may claim that we do not see

the relationship to forgiveness, which is the topic for this week's

lesson. But if we will look back into the closing verses of Ro-

mans 4, we will see the very close relationship. Speaking of

Abraham's faith and how it was counted to him for righteous-

ness, the apostle continues, "Now it was not written for his sake

alone, that it was imputed to him: but for us also, to whom it

shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our

Lord from the dead; who was delivered for our offences, and

was raised again for our justification" (Rom. 4:23-25).

Clearly it is for our sins or offenses that Christ was delivered to

the death of the cross, as we studied earlier in this week's

lesson, and it was the acceptance by the Father of Christ's

perfect sacrifice for our offenses that entitled Jesus to exercise

His own power in rising from the dead so that He might count to

us His righteousness and impart to us His life-giving power. And

it is the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord that affords us

peace with God through our justification. We have peace with

God because we are counted righteous in Jesus Christ and,

being counted righteous, we are treated by the Father as if we

had never sinned. (See

Steps to Christ, "The Test of Disciple-

ship," p. 62.)



THINK IT THROUGH



How closely are pardon and justification identified one with

the other?

"Pardon and justification are one and the same thing.

Through faith, the believer passes from the position of a rebel, a

child of sin and Satan, to the position of a loyal subject of Christ

Jesus, not because of an inherent goodness, but because Christ

receives him as His child by adoption. The sinner receives the

forgiveness of his sins, because these sins are borne by his

Substitute and Surety. The Lord speaks to His heavenly Father,

saying: 'This is My child. I reprieve him from the condemnation

of death, giving him My life insurance policy—eternal life—

because I have taken his place and have suffered for his sins. He

is even My beloved son.' Thus man, pardoned, and clothed with

the beautiful garments of Christ's righteousness, stands fault-

less before God."—Ellen G. White Comments,

SDA Bible Com-

mentary,

vol. 6, p. 1070.



FURTHER STUDY



SDA Bible Commentary,

vol. 6, pp. 1070-1073.

We Are Forgiven Through Him

LESSON 7



❑

Thursday

May 11



Part 5



With a seemingly foolproof case of a punishable sin before

"NEITHER DO Him, how does Christ reveal the character of God?

I CONDEMN



THEE"



"And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go,

and sin no more" (John 8:11).

We may hardly need to sketch the experience which gave rise

to these words. Let us, however, just remind ourselves of a

woman supposedly taken in the act of adultery and being

brought before Christ for His judgment. In the process, Christ is

reminded of what Moses said should happen to such a woman;

therefore He is seemingly placed in the dilemma either of agree-

ing with Moses and seeing this woman stoned or of openly

rebelling against the teachings of the Old Testament. There was

the additional problem that if He declared the woman worthy of

death, he could be accused to the Romans as one who was

assuming their prerogatives.

We remember what Jesus did in writing in the dust the sins of

the accusers of the woman, those who themselves had led the

woman into sin. They see their own guilty secrets traced in the

dust, and they slink away one by one.

Finally left with the woman, her accusers gone, Christ asked

her, "Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man

condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto

her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more" (John

8:10, 11). This is God speaking to a pathetic and pitiful sinner.

"Jesus knows the circumstances of every soul. The greater

the sinner's guilt, the more he needs the Saviour. His heart of

divine love and sympathy is drawn out most of all for the one

who is the most hopelessly entangled in the snares of the

enemy. With His own blood He has signed the emancipation

papers of the race."—The

Ministry of Healing,

pp. 89, 90.



THINK IT THROUGH



What is the attitude of God toward the guilty secrets of our

own hearts?

"Men hate the sinner, while they love the sin. Christ hates the

sin, but loves the sinner. This will be the spirit of all who follow

Him. Christian love is slow to censure, quick to discern peni-

tence, ready to forgive, to encourage, to set the wanderer in the

path of holiness, and to stay his feet therein."—The

Desire of

Ages,

p. 462.



FURTHER STUDY



Steps to Christ,

"Faith and Acceptance," pp. 54, 55;

The

Desire of Ages,

pp. 460-462.

We Are Forgiven Through Him

LESSON 7



❑

Friday

May 12



Part 6



the

plan and character of God, what is the relationship

THE KISS between righteousness and peace?

OF PEACE

"Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet;

righteousness and peace will kiss each other"

Psalm 85:10, RSV.

In the character, government, and plan of salvation of our

Lord, righteousness and peace are in perfect harmony. To put

the matter less poetically than does the psalmist: There is no

conflict between law and grace, between obedience and love,

between repentance and faith.

The peace which passeth all understanding comes because

God has made provision for Christ's righteousness to stand in

place of our sinfulness, and indeed, in place of our righteous-

ness.



THINK IT THROUGH



Why does Christ say to forgiven sinners, Go and sin no

more?

The plan of salvation is not a device for excusing sin that we

may continue therein. The plan of salvation is God's plan for

destroying sin, ultimately forever.

"The law requires righteousness,—a righteous life, a perfect

character; and this man has not to give. He cannot meet the

claims of God's holy law. But Christ, coming tothe earth as man,

lived a holy life, and developed a perfect character. These He

offers as a free gift to all who will receive them. His life stands for

the life of men. Thus they have remission of sins that are past,

through the forbearance of God. More than this Christ embues

men with the attributes of God. He builds up the human charac-

ter after the similitude of the divine character, a goodly fabric of

spiritual strength and beauty. Thus the very righteousness of

the law is fulfilled in the believer in Christ. God can 'be just, and

the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.' Rom. 3:26."—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 762.

What has been Satan's plan from the beginning?

"God's love has been expressed in His justice no less than in

His mercy. Justice is the foundation of His throne, and the fruit

of His love. It had been Satan's purpose to divorce mercy from

truth and justice. He sought to prove that the righteousness of

God's law is an enemy to peace. But Christ shows that in God's

plan they are indissolubly joined together; the one cannot exist

without the other. 'Mercy and truth are met together; righteous-

ness and peace have kissed each other.' Ps. 85:10."—The

De-

sire of Ages,

p. 762.



FURTHER STUDY



Selected Messages,

bk. 1, pp. 371, 372.

"Nicodemus saith unto him,

How can a man be born when he

is old? can he enter the second

time into his mother's womb,

and be born?" (John 3:4).

in these words Nicodemus

attempted to change the subject

of his interview with Jesus. He

was ready to debate on the

"how" of the new birth, when

Christ wanted to speak about

the "why" of it. So it is today.

When the Spirit of God presses

conviction home to the con-

science, an enlightened reason

says it is time to surrender; but

pride says, How can

LESSON 8 May 14-20

these things possibly be?

And how it would please the evil one

to see us in contention over the

manner in which our Saviour saves us,

to see us in argument and debate over

how these things can be! We may not

know exactly how these things can be.

We may not need to know exactly how

these things can be. There is no

legitimate reason for strife and debate

over the manner in which the Lord

would redeem His children. The vital

question is, Are we ready to be

redeemed? Are we willing to be born

again? Are we prepared to be placed

entirely under new management? Are

we prepared to surrender the reins

that govern the direction of our

thoughts and affections? If not, our

independence may cost us eternal life.

Shortly after the 1888 General

Conference session in Minneapolis,

there was a minister among us who

was very certain that his ideas on

things were the correct ideas, and that

only those who saw things as he saw

them were walking in the light. The

rest he believed were walking in

darkness, and especially the ministers.

He wanted to stand out, to be

different. In his egotism he insisted

that others should see things as he did

or they could not be saved.

The servant of the Lord wrote a

lengthy letter to this brother and

repeatedlypointed out to him his

danger in dwelling upon certain

subjects, certain ideas, in which he felt

he was far out in front of almost

everybody else. The Lord's messenger

went so far as to indicate that at times

this man's mind was "unbalanced

from trying very hard to study into and

explain the mystery of godliness,

which isjlust as great a mystery after

your study and explanations as it was

before." He was further counseled

that he was not leaving the Lord

enough room to work upon people's

minds and to speak to their souls and

to impress their understanding. In this

setting he was told, "It is not essentia

for you to know and tell others all the

whys and wherefores as to what

constitutes the new heart, or as to the

position they can and must reach so as

never to sin. You have no such work tc

do."—Selected Messages,

bk. 1, p.

177.

The reason given that this brother

should not attempt to explain all the

whys and wherefores, even of the nevl

birth or of the new heart, was the fact

that "all are not constituted alike.

Conversions are not all alike."

Different individuals have different

experiences in conversion, but no one

is to judge the conversion of another

not genuine because the experience is

not exactly like his own. So even in our

study of this week's lesson, we may

not all see it just exactly alike. But what

we all do need to do is to see Christ

lifted up. "With outstretched arms He

is ready to receive and welcome not

only the sinner but the prodigal. His

dying love, manifested on Calvary, is

the sinner's assurance of acceptance,

peace, and love. Teach these things in

the simplest form, that the

sin-darkened soul may see the light

shining from the cross of

Ca Iva ry."—,Selected

Messages,

bk. 1,

pp. 178, 179. With that caution and

with that appeal, let us proceed to

study this vital subject; for without the

new-birth experience no man shall see

the Lord.

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

"Except"

(John 3:3)

"Of Water and of the Spirit"

(John 3:5)

Listen to the Wind!

(John 3:8)

Look and Live

(John 3:14,

15)

Believing and Deliverance

(John 3:18, 19)

Believing and the Spirit

(John

7:37-39)

We Are Born Again

LESSON 8



❑

Sunday

May 14



Part 1



Just how essential is it to salvation that a person be born

"EXCEPT" again?

"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto

thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom

of God" (John 3:3).

Nicodemus was not accustomed to having his needs pointed

out by anyone. But there was reason for him to be shocked out

of his complacency and self-righteousness by this bold and

deeply personal assertion: You, Nicodemus, you must be born

again.

What symbol did the Lord use in Old Testament times to

communicate the idea of a person's changing from a life of sin

to one of righteousness? Eze. 36:25, 26.

Note that it is the work of God to give a heart of flesh; and that

the direction of the new birth is from above. It is in no way an

improving of or modifying of the old life to make it better. It is to

be "born over again" (NEB).



THINK IT THROUGH



What does it really mean to be born again?

"Satan leads people to think that because they have felt a

rapture of feeling, they are converted. But their experience does

not change. Their actions are the same as before. Their lives

show no good fruit. They pray often and long, and are con-

stantly referring to the feelings they had at such and such a time.

But they do not live the new life. They are deceived. Their

experience goes no deeper than feeling. They build upon the

sand, and when adverse winds come, their house is swept

away."—Ellen G. White Comments,

SDA Bible Commentary,

vol. 4, p. 1164.

Perhaps someone is objecting that we have switched from the

topic of the new birth to that of conversion. It is not a switch in

topics, because the inspired counsel uses "new birth" and

"conversion" to refer to the same experience.

"The youth especially stumble over the phrase, 'a new heart.'

They do not know what it means. They look for a special change

to take place in their feelings. This they term conversion. Over

this error thousands have stumbled to ruin, not understanding

the expression, 'Ye must be born again.' . . .

"When Jesus speaks of the new heart, he means the mind, the

life, the whole being. To have a change of heart is to withdraw

the affections from the world, and fasten them upon Christ. To

have a new heart is to have a new mind, new purposes, new

motives. What is the sign of a new heart?—a changed life. There

is a daily, hourly dying to selfishness and pride."—Ellen G.

White Comments,

SDA Bible Commentary,

vol. 4, pp. 1164, 1165.



FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pp. 167-171.

We Are Born Again

LESSON 8



❑

Monday

May 15

Part 2



As Nicodemus attempts to parry Christ's insistence upon

"OF WATER the new birth by debating the literal meaning of Christ's

AND OF THE words, what response does he receive?

SPIRIT"

"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a

man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the

kingdom of God" (John 3:5).

THINK IT THROUGH

"Nicodemus knew that Christ here referred to water baptism

and the renewing of the heart by the Spirit of God. He was

convinced that he was in the presence of the One whom John

the Baptist had foretold."—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 172.

Nicodemus was acquainted with the preaching of John the

Baptist on the subjects of repentance and baptism. He had

heard the prediction of One who should come to baptize with

the Holy Spirit. He had felt that there was a great spiritual need

among his own people, but he had not yet come to see that he, a

leader in Israel, could have any such spiritual need.

"Nicodemus anticipated admission into the kingdom of God

as a natural-born, devout Jew, but Jesus declared that anything

less than a complete transformation of the life by the power of

the Holy Spirit was inadequate.. .

"To be 'born of water and of the Spirit' is equivalent to being

'born again,' that is, 'from above.' ... Those who are born from

above have God as their Father and resemble Him in character

(see 1 John 3:1-3; cf. John 8:39, 44). Henceforth, they aspire, by

the grace of Christ, to live above sin (Rom. 6:12-16) and do not

yield their wills to commit sin (1 John 3:9; 5:18)."—SDA

Bible

Commentary,

vol. 5, p. 928.

Could I be hiding behind a doctrinal debate my inner convic-

tion of my own soul's great need of Christ? (See 2 Peter 1:3,4.)

"The old nature, born of blood and the will of the flesh, cannot

inherit the kingdom of God. The old ways, the hereditary tend-

encies, the former habits, must be given up; for grace is not in-

herited. The new birth consists in having new motives, new tastes

new tendencies. Those who are begotten unto a new life by the

Holy Spirit, have become partakers of the divine nature, and in

all their habits and practices they will give evidence of their rela-

tionship to Christ. When men who claim to be Christians retain

all their natural defects of character and disposition, in what does

their position differ from that of the worldling? They do not appre-

ciate the truth as a sancitifier, a refiner. They have not been born

again"—Ellen G. White Comments,

SDA Bible Commentary,

vol.

6, p.1101.

FURTHER STUDY



Selected Messages,

bk. 1, pp. 366-368.

We Are Born Again

LESSON 8



❑

Tuesday

May 16

Part 3



When Nicodemus continued to have difficulty accepting the

LISTEN TO remedy which Christ offered for his sinful soul, what illustra-

THE WIND! tion did Christ use to help him?

"The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the

sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither

it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit" (John 3:8).

Even with our modern, sophisticated methods of meteorolog-

ical investigation, we cannot control the wind. We cannot see

the wind, but we can see the effects of its work. And in Christ's

day, even more than in our own, the point of origin and the point

of destination of the wind were beyond human comprehension,

let alone control. "So is every one that is born of the Spirit."

When the wind blows, there is evidence of its action. We may not

be able to see it, measure it, or control it. The evidence is there.

The trees bend, the dust flies, the giant windmill turns, creating

power. The calm lake is whipped into a frothy fury. There are

results. There are changes. These are perceptible. "So is every

one that is born of the Spirit." So the little song is true, "Things

are different now, something's happened to me since I gave my

heart to Jesus."



THINK IT THROUGH



How does the figure of the wind illustrate the work of the

Holy Spirit?

"The wind is heard among the branches of the trees, rustling

the leaves and flowers; yet it is invisible, and no man knows

whence it comes or whither it goes. So with the work of the Holy

Spirit upon the heart. It can no more be explained than can the

movements of the wind....

"While the wind itself is invisible, it produces effects that are

seen and felt. So the work of the Spirit upon the soul will reveal

itself in every act of him who has felt its saving power. When the

Spirit of God takes possession of the heart, it transforms the life.

... The blessing comes when by faith the soul surrenders itself

to God. Then that power which no human eye can see creates a

new being in the image of God.

"It is impossible for finite minds to comprehend the work of

redemption. Its mystery exceeds human knowledge; yet He who

passes from death to life realizes that it is a divine reality. The

beginning of redemption we may know here through a personal

experience. Its results reach through the eternal ages."—The

Desire of Ages,

pp. 172, 173.



FURTHER STUDY



Steps to Christ,

"The Test of Discipleship," pp. 57-59.

We Are Born Again

LESSON 8



❑

Wednesday

May 17

Part 4



After giving Nicodemus some gentle reproof for his ignor-

LOOK AND ance of basic truths, what more familiar illustration did Christ

LIVE use to help Nicodemus to understand the plan of salvation?

THINK IT THROUGH

"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even

so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth

in him should not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:14,15).

Nicodemus had been drawn by what he had seen and heard of

Christ before he obtained this personal interview with Him.

Jesus pierced through his defensiveness and had been very

forthright and deeply personal with him. But Nicodemus sensed

such love in the Saviour that he took no offense. Christ had even

pointed out how little he knew of the things that really mattered

for one who held such a position of leadership in Israel.

There was a growing longing in the heart of Nicodemus for

the experience which Christ was presenting as a new birth. The

Lord gave him an illustration that he would readily grasp.

"Here was ground with which Nicodemus was familiar. The

symbol of the uplifted serpent made plain to him the Saviour's

mission. When the people of Israel were dying from the sting of

the fiery serpents, God directed Moses to make a serpent of

brass, and place it on high in the midst of the congregation.

Then the word was sounded throughout the encampment that

all who would look upon the serpent should live. The people

well knew that in itself the serpent had no power to help them. It

was a symbol of Christ. . . . Whether for the healing of their

wounds or the pardon of their sins, they could do nothing for

themselves but show their faith in the Gift of God. They were to

look and live."—The

Desire of Ages,

pp. 174, 175.

Are pride, independence, or demand for scientific or histor-

ical justification of Christ's claim depriving me of the look that

gives life?

"Not through controversy and discussion is the soul en-

lightened. We must look and l

ive."—The Desire of Ages,

p. 175.

As stressed in the introduction to this lesson, not all experi-

ences are alike, because not all individuals are alike. But all true

conversions have this in common: They result from our faith in

what Christ has done for us, and not from one shred of confi-

dence in anything that we have done or can do for ourselves. It

was unscientific to expect the brass serpent to heal the people.

There was no historical precedent for believing in such a thing.

But God had made the provision, and God had made the prom-

ise; and the only requirement of the dying victims in Israel was

that they look and live.

FURTHER STUDY



Patriarchs and Prophets,

pp. 430-432.

We Are Born Again

LESSON 8



Thursd

May 18



Part 5



What evidence is there in Scripture to show that either

BELIEVING choice of wrong or rejection of right leads to eternal loss?

AND



DELIVERANCE



"He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that

believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not

believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this

is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men

loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were

evil" (John 3:18, 19).

THINK IT THROUGH

It is a solemn thought that we are in the land of the enemy, that

we come into the world with inherited propensities to evil. But.

God has given us hope through the death of Jesus for our

redemption. Condemnation in

the day of judgment will arise

from an unwillingness to accept the means which God has

provided. The lost thus show the same type of independenth

and determination to go their own way and have their own will

as brought sin into the world in the very beginning. Just as those

who refused .tolook upon the brass serpent died, so those who

refuse to look in faith to Christ will perish.

"While the sinner cannot save himself, he still has something

to do to secure salvation. 'Him that cometh to Me,' says Christ, 'I

will in no wise cast out.' John 6:37. But we must

come

to Him;

and when we repent of our sins, we must believe that He accepts

and pardons us. Faith is the gift of God, but the power to

exercise it is ours. Faith is the hand by which the soul takes hold

upon the divine offers of grace and

mercy."—Patriarchs and

Prophets,

p. 431.

What is the origin of my faith, my believing, that brings me

deliverance from the sting of the serpent?

Inadvertently, it is possible that many are making

faith

their

savior, or the

name

of Jesus their savior. And some quote Acts

4:12 in support of their position: "There is none other name

under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."

-But does that mean that our salvation has been obtained by a

name?

Has our salvation been obtained by our

faith?

"Through faith we receive the grace of God; but faith is not

our Saviour. It earns nothing. It is the hand by which we lay hold

upon Christ, and appropriate His merits, the remedy for sin."—

The Desire of Ages,

p. 175.

It was not a name that came and died on. Calvary. It was Jesus

Christ, the eternal Son of the living God.

FURTHER STUDY



Testimonies to Ministers,

pp. 367-370.

We Are Born Again

LESSON 8



❑

Friday

May 19

Part 6



Believing brings deliverance from condemnation of sin.

BELIEVING How does believing Telate to the work of the Holy Spirit in

AND THE human hearts?

SPIRIT

THINK IT THROUGH

"In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus

stood and

cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and

drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out

of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he

of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for

the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not

yet glorified.)" (John 7:37-39).

It is important to remember

that in His conversation. with

Nicodemus Jesus indicated that the new•birth is the work of the

Holy Spirit. While Christ has purchased the means of redemp-

tion, the application in the individual heart and life of that

redemption and redeeming grace is brought by the Holy Spirit.

(See John 3:8.)

What is the way that old things pass away and all things

become new, when a man becomes anew creature in Christ?

2 Cor. 5:17-19.

"Like the wind, which is invisible, yet the effects of which are

plainly seen and felt, is the Spirit of God in its work upon the

human heart. That regenerating power, which no human eye

can see, begets a new life in the soul; it creates a new being in

the image of God."—Steps

to Christ,

p. 57.

Do I have to go in search of the Holy Spirit to receive the

presence and power of Jesus Christ? Have I received the Holy

Spirit? How can I know?

Note the words of our text of the day particularly: "But this

spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should

receive." The Holy Spirit is•engaged in drawing us to Christ in

the first place. When.we respond in faith and acceptance, when

we trust Christ and surrender to Him, the Holy Spirit comes to

bring the presence and power of Christ into the heart. Then, as it

were, "out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." The

power of the Spirit for overcoming sin, and the power of the

Spirit for effectual witness, come to the believer as a conse-

quence of his faith in Jesus Christ.

By what four questions did Jesus teach us of His Father's

willingness to give us the Holy Spirit? Luke 11:11-13.

FURTHER STUDY



Steps to Christ,

"The Test of Discipleship," pp. 60-65.

LESSON 9 May 21-27

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect

peace, whose mind is stayed on thee:

because he trusteth in thee" (Isa.

16:3).

Recently an aged apartment dweller

spoke of a contact with a Jewish

neighbor. They became good friends

and spoke together of things spiritual.

On one occasion the Christian brother

greeted his Jewish friend thus:

"Shalom, shalom." "Oh," said the

Jewish friend, "do you really mean

that?" "Yes," said the Christian,

"Shalom, shalom."

These are the words in our text as we

begin this lesson study. Thou wilt keep

him in

shalom, shalom—in

peace,

peace. To the Hebrew the repetition of

a term gave to it a depth of meaning, a

measure of appeal which is difficult for

the Western mind to comprehend

perhaps. We have picked up in

modern parlance this term and use it

rather freely as a greeting, "Shalom,

shalom." But God will keep him in

peace, peace,

shalom, shalom,

whose

mind is stayed on the Lord, because he

trusts in Him. And there is good

reason to expect to find this peace in

Him, for the messenger goes on to

instruct us, "Trust ye in the Lord for

ever: for in the Lord JEHOVAH is

everlasting strength" (verse 4).

Has there ever been a time in human

history when men were more fearful

of what the future holds? Where is

security? Where is peace to be found?

Those with little or nothing are fearful

about how they will survive, as their

little has less and less power to supply

their needs. Those who have much are

fearful of how much they will lose

when their much comes to naught.

There is less and less confidence to

be had in those things in which men

have always thought that they could

have confidence. Distrust is in the very

air we breathe. It is no longer distrust

of thieves and murderers and

extortioners only that men endure.

They no longer are sure that they can

trust those who are the appointed

peace-keepers, those who have been

appointed to rule and to lead in the

affairs of men and nations.

Sometimes those who have

attempted to send relief to countries

devastated by natural disasters have

been appalled to find fellow

countrymen of the suffering

multitudes attempting to take by force

from the rescue workers food and

clothing being brought in by the relief

agencies. These men would then sell

the supplies on the "black market" for

exorbitant personal profit, while their

own perishing fellow countrymen

died of starvation and exposure.

•

But heartrending as these

happenings are that shatter our peace

and drive sleep from ou rpillows, they

are not quite the equal of the nagging

condemnation and inner restlessness

of spirit which are the consequence of

one's personal guilt. So often those

whose minds are breaking down

under modern stress and tension are

losing their equanimity because of the

deep depressions and

self-condemnation that come with

awareness of guilt. Men may escape

the law and pay no penalty imposed by

society upon their deeds. But they

have to live with themselves, and often

it seems more than they can do.

As we have studied thus far this

quarter the means by which we can be

reconciled to God, we have been

confronted with the opportunity of

taking those steps to Christ which

would make us at peace with God and

bring into our lives

shalom, shalom.

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

"My Peace"

(John 14:27)

"He Reconciled"

(Col. 1:21)

"He Is Our Peace"

(E h. 2:14)

"God . . . in Christ Reconciling"

(2 Cor. 5:19)

"Merciful . . . High Priest"

(Heb. 2:17)

"In Me . . . Peace"

(John 16:33)

We Are At Peace

LESSON 9



❑

Sunday

May 21

Part 1

"MY PEACE"

THINK IT THROUGH

Just before He went to the cross, what marvelous assur-

ance did Christ share with His band of disciples?

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the

world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled,

neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27).

These were among the many precious words which Jesus

spoke to His disciples in the last few hours before He went to

Gethsemane and the cruel mockery of trials leading to Calvary.

It was the time when He promised that He would not leave them

orphans, that He would send the Comforter to them, the

Paraclete—the

One who would be alongside them in the place

of Jesus. And with all that He knew was just hours away from

Him and them, He could offer them peace—not just the world's

peace, but His peace. What is wrong with the world's peace? It is

so uncertain, so unpredictable. But Jesus Christ offers peace

like a river to my soul—not a shallow, bubbling brook, but a

deep-flowing crystal-pure river of the water of life.

We know what kind of peace Christ offered to His disciples

because He exhibited that peace in His own person. In the midst

of the caviling scribes and Pharisees, under false condemna-

tion of hired false witnesses, under the threats, epithets, and

curses of the mob, He was at peace. The only disturbance of

Jesus' peace that we see was when in Gethsemane He became

our Sin Bearer. This is why His body swayed as though beaten

by a tempest. This is why He clung to the ground as though to

hold Himself back from the abyss into which our sins were

pressing Him. This is why He sweat as it were great drops of

blood. This is why He cried out in anguish for the Father to take

away the cup if possible. He made the renewal of the commit-

ment and agreement which He and the Father had made before

the foundations of the world were laid. He determined to go

through with the contract, to complete the mission. An angel

sent from heaven strengthened Him, and He came forth from

the agony of Gethsemane with peace in His heart and peace in

His countenance.

What easily troubles my heart? What makes me afraid?

Could it be that I have not yet accepted the peace which Christ

left for me?

"This peace is not the peace that comes through conformity

to the world. Christ never purchased peace by compromise with

evil. The peace that Christ left His disciples is internal rather

than external and was ever to remain with His witnesses

through strife and contention."—The

Acts of the Apostles,

p. 84.

FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

p. 672.

We Are At Peace

LESSON 9



❑

Monday

May 22



Part 2



When we by nature are enemies of God, how can we be at

"HE RECONCILED" peace with Him?

"And you, that were some time alienated and enemies in

your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled" (Col.

1:21).

We stressed in the introduction of the lesson that guilt is the

greatest destroyer of our inner peace, and that Christ has made

provision for us to receive His peace. This the apostle Paul well

understood and explained to the church at Colossae. Yet he

pointed them to the cross and the blood of the cross by which

peace has been made between God and sinful man, because

through the blood of the cross it is possible for all things to be

reconciled to God through Christ. And we who by nature were

alienated and enemies of God by our wicked works and our

inherited propensities toward evil—even we can be reconciled

"in the body of his flesh through death" so that we might be

presented "holy and unblamable and unreprovable in his sight"

(verse 22).

That term "reconciled" does not appear a great many times in

the Scriptures. In the Old Testament it is mostly used in connec-

tion with the sanctuary services whereby the shed blood pro-

vides an atonement or a cover

(kaphar)

so that sinful man can be

at peace with a holy and righteous God. In the New Testament it

carries most frequently the thought of being

thoroughly

changed, and how beautiful a thought that is. Christ has made

provision for us to be thoroughly changed so that, whereas we

were at enmity with God through sin, we now can be at peace

with God and be the friends of God through righteousness—not

our own righteousness, but through the righteousness of Jesus

Christ in whom we believe. And, strangely and beautifully, the

more we contemplate our dependence upon His righteousness,

then the more we recognize that we can make no contribution

to improve upon that righteousness of His; with the result that

our will is surrendered more completely to the indwelling of His

Spirit, who creates within us a new man after the likeness of

Jesus our Saviour and Redeemer.



THINK IT THROUGH



What grounds do I have for claiming or expecting reconcilia-

tion with God?

"We have nothing in ourselves of which to boast. We have no

ground for self-exaltation. Our only ground of hope is in the

righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and in that wrought by

His Spirit working in and through

us."—Steps to Christ,

p. 63.



FURTHER STUDY



Selected Messages,

bk. 1, pp. 395, 396.

We Are At Peace

LESSON 9



❑

Tuesday

May 23



Part 3



What blessed assurance does the apostle Paul offer Gentile

"HE IS OUR believers to share with Christ's followers in Israel?



PEACE"



"For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath

broken down the middle wall of partition between us" (Eph.

2:14).

"He is our peace.

The 'he' is emphatic in the Greek. Christ is

not only the peacemaker; He Himself is peace, the bond of

union and of peace. In Him all the divisions of mankind are to be

abolished. . . .

"Middle wall of partition.

Literally, 'partition wall of the

fence,' meaning, 'the partition wall which is the fence.' The

imagery may have been derived from the barrier in the Temple

separating the court of the Gentiles from the court of the Jews.

. . . Beyond this wall no Gentile dared

go."—SDA Bible Com-

mentary,

vol. 6, p. 1009.

Paul had been addressing himself to the Christians at

Ephesus, many of whom, if not most, would be of Gentile

background. He reminded them that at one time they were

"without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel,

and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope,

and without God in the world" (verse 12). But now he assures

them that in Christ Jesus they who "sometimes were far off are

made nigh by the blood of Christ" (verse 13). And, really, that

had been God's intention all through the Old Testament era,

that those not of Israel should know from Israel and through

Israel that the blood of Messiah would be shed for them as well

as for Israel.

THINK IT THROUGH

FURTHER STUDY

What change in relationship between Jew and Gentile was

effected by Christ's death upon the cross?

"Through Christ the hidden glory of the holy of holies was to

stand revealed. He had suffered death for every man, and by this

offering the sons of men were to become the sons of God....

The mercy seat, upon which the, glory of God rested in the

holiest of all, is opened to all who accept Christ as the propitia-

tion for sin, and through its medium, they are brought into

fellowship with God. The veil is rent, the partition walls broken

down, the handwriting of ordinances canceled. By virtue of His

blood the enmity is abolished. Through faith in Christ Jew and

Gentile may partake of the living bread."—Ellen G. White Com-

ments,

SDA Bible Commentary,

vol. 5, p. 1109.

"Christ recognized no distinction of nationality or rank or

creed.... Christ came to break down every wall of partition. He

came to show that His gift of mercy and love is as unconfined as

the air, the light, or the showers of rain that refresh the

earth."—Testimonies,

vol. 9, p. 190.

Prophets and Kings,

pp. 369-372.

We Are At Peace

LESSON 9



❑

Wednesday

May 24



Part 4



Who takes the initiative in creating peace between man and

"GOD . . . IN God?

CHRIST



RECONCILING"



"To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto

himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath

committed unto us the word of reconciliation" (2 Cor. 5:19).

One thing for sure is implied by these inspired words of the

text today: There is need for a reconciliation. Some have the

idea that Christ is shielding us from a God who is angry with His

creatures—that Christ has to reconcile His Father to us. In order

to know that an enmity had arisen, we have only to go back to

the Garden of Eden to see our first parents hiding in the recesses

of the Garden from the God who had given them life. Man had

sold out his first options to Satan. He was utterly helpless to buy

them back. God gave him the first promise that there would

come a Man who would be at enmity with the serpent and not in

league with him. This Man would conquer the serpent and offer

all the sons of men the opportunity to be reconciled to God.



THINK IT THROUGH



Do the words of Second Corinthians 5:20 contradict those of

verse 19?

No, the expression "be ye reconciled to God" is still an appeal

from God to man, and the apostle Paul indicates that he and his

fellow laborers are apostles, or ambassadors, who speak for

Christ, urging sinners to be reconciled to God. The initiative is

with God, the provision is made by God. Let us never forget that

it is God

in Christ,

reconciling the world unto Himself.

The very next verse—verse 21—gives us the ground for this

work and act of reconciliation. It provides the justification, the

legal rationale, for this to be done. The Revised Standard Ver-

sion reads, "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no

sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

Here in these few words we have the ground upon which it is

possible for sinful man to be again at peace with the holy and

righteous God. It is a glorious exchange that is offered for which

there is no basis other than the eternal love of God.

What spirit of prophecy statement closely parallels the pro-

found thought of Second Corinthians 5:21?

"Christ was treated as we deserve, that we might be treated as

He deserves. He was condemned for our sins, in which He had

no share, that we might be justified by His righteousness, in

which we had no share. He suffered the death which was ours,

that we might receive the life which was His. 'With His stripes we

are healed.'

"—The Desire of Ages,

p. 25.



FURTHER STUDY



Patriarchs and Prophets,

p. 64.

We Are At Peace

LESSON 9



❑

Thursday

May 25



Part 5



What sanctuary office again portrays Christ's key role in

"MERCIFUL bringing us to be at peace with God?

. . . HIGH



PRIEST"



"Therefore he had to be made like his brethren in every

respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high

priest in the service of God, to make expiation for the sins of

the people" (Heb. 2:17, RSV).

Think for a moment of the work and service of the high priest

in the earthly sanctuary. Think particularly of the fact that his

major work in the whole series of sanctuary services fell on the

annual Day of Atonement. On that day in a particularly specific

and awesome manner he became the direct mediator between

the people of Israel and Yahweh. It was his solemn task, after

due preparation of himself and his family, to go in before the

manifestation of God's glory—the shekinah. There, veiled only

by the rising incense from the censer in his hand, he made an

atonement, a covering, an expiation, a reconciliation of and for

the people and their sins before God.

How prayerfully, how earnestly, how penitentially the believ-

ing Israelites gathered about the sanctuary. There they awaited

the return of the high priest in order to know that the offering

had been accepted. Only then would they know that the recon-

ciliation of the sins sent in penitence to the sanctuary had been

effectual, and that the waiting worshipers were reconciled anew

to God. Their sins would then be removed from their place of

record before God and His commandments.

So Christ, after He was tempted in all points like as we are, yet

without sin (Heb. 4:15), after He was tested and tried and

afflicted as no other man ever can be, became our High Priest

and also our Sacrifice—the Lamb of God—and through His own

sacrifice He has made provision to remove from us our sins;

and, if the whole world were willing, the sins of the whole world.



THINK IT THROUGH



Do I truly believe and count as mine personally the assur-

ance that I am at peace with God?

"When we become absorbed in worldly things so that we have

no thought for Him in whom our hope of eternal life is centered,

we separate ourselves from Jesus and from the heavenly

angels. These holy beings cannot remain where the Saviour's

presence is not desired, and His absence is not marked. This is

why discouragement so often exists among the professed fol-

lowers of Christ. . . .

"It would be well for us to spend a thoughtful hour each day in

contemplation of the life of Christ."—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 83.



FURTHER STUDY



Early Writings,

pp. 254-256.

We Are At Peace

LESSON 9



❑

Friday

May 26



Part 6



Is the peace which Jesus offers one that is free from trou-

"IN ME ble?

. . . PEACE"

"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might

have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of

good cheer; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).

It should be noted that the promises which Jesus offers in this

verse today were made to His disciples just before He would be

taken by the mob and led from trial to trial. The Lord predicted

that every one of His seemingly faithful followers would forsake

Him, and He would be left alone. "And yet," said Jesus, "I am not

alone, because the Father is with me" (verse 32).

No, the peace which Jesus offers is not peace which guaran-

tees immunity from trouble. But His peace is one which endures

in spite of trouble. In His own trials and agonies He had about

Him a peace which impressed the beholders that they were

looking upon the Majesty of heaven.



THINK IT THROUGH



Could the peace just described above be the peace of which

Paul was speaking in Philippians 4:7?

It is interesting again to note that this promise of "the peace of

God which passeth all understanding" is assured to those who

are anxious for nothing but who "in every thing by prayer and

supplication with thanksgiving" make known their requests

unto God (verse 6). And these words were spoken by a man who

had been through every type of trial and persecution short of the

Gethsemane agony of the Lord Jesus Himself.

"Christ did not fail, neither was He discouraged; and His

followers are to manifest a faith of the same enduring nature.

They are to live as He lived, and work as He worked, because

they depend on Him as the great Master-worker."—Gospel

Workers,

p. 39.

"In order to be candidates for heaven we must meet the

requirement of the law: 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with

all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and

with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself' (Luke 10:27). We

can do this only as we grasp by faith the righteousness of Christ.

By beholding Jesus we receive a living, expanding principle in

the heart, and the Holy Spirit carries on the work, and the

believer advances from grace to grace, from strength to

strength, from character to character. He conforms to the image

of Christ, until in spiritual growth he attains unto the measure of

the full stature in Christ Jesus. Thus Christ makes an end of the

curse of sin, and sets the believing soul free from its action and

effect."—Selected Messages,

bk. 1, p. 395.

Shalom, shalom.



FURTHER STUDY



The Acts of the Apostles,

pp. 84-86.

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

We Consecrate



Ourselves

LESSON 10



❑

Sunday

May 28



Part 1



In the preparation of the materials for the building of the

"WHO . . . IS temple of the Lord, what appeal did David make to the congre-

WILLING?" gation of Israel?

"And who then is willing to consecrate his service this day

unto the Lord?" (1 Chron. 29:5).

We remember well the desire of King David to build a temple

unto the Lord, but he was not permitted this privilege primarily

because he had been a man of war. We recall, however, that he

desired to do everything possible short of building the temple,

and so he gave generously of the riches that were his at the peak

of the power of the kingdom of Israel. He accumulated gold,

silver, brass, iron, wood, precious stones of varying kinds and

colors, and marble in abundance.

In the light of his consecration to God's service, David ap-

pealed to the princes and to the congregation of Israel also to

make a consecration to the Lord.

There was great rejoicing as the people brought in their gifts.

"Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, be-

cause with perfect heart they offered willingly to the Lord: and

David the king also rejoiced with great joy" (1 Chron. 29:9).

The dedication of the people and of their gifts was made with

the whole heart. They were not holding back. Their dedication

was complete, finished, and whole—a genuine consecreation.



THINK IT THROUGH



Is my personal brand of Christianity the dedication of my

whole heart?

Ellen G. White wrote of the rich young ruler that he "must

accept the conditions of discipleship. He must give himself

unreservedly to God. At the Saviour's call, John, Peter,

Matthew, and their companions 'left all, rose up, and followed

Him.' Luke 5:28. The same consecration was required of the

young ruler. And in this Christ did not ask a greater sacrifice

than He Himself had made. 'He was rich, yet for your sakes He

became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich.' 2 Cor.

8:9. The young man had only to follow where Christ led the

way."—Christ's Object Lessons,

p. 393.

"To the rich no less than to the poor are the words of the Holy

Spirit spoken, 'Ye are not your own; for ye are bought with a

price.' 1 Cor. 6:19, 20. When men believe this, their possessions

will be held as a trust, to be used as God shall direct, for the

saving of the lost, and the comfort of the suffering and the poor.

With man this is impossible, for the heart clings to its earthly

treasure.... But with God all things are possible. By beholding

the matchless love of Christ, the selfish heart will be melted and

subdued."—Christ's

Object Lessons,

p. 394.



FURTHER STUDY



Matthew 19:16-30; 20:1-16.

We Consecrate Ourselves

LESSON 10



❑

Monday

May 29

Part 2

WHO OPENS

THE DOOR?

How would Christ's message to the Laodicean church relate

to the question of consecration?

"Here I stand knocking at the door; if anyone hears my voice

and opens the door, I will come in and sit down to supper with

him and he with me" (Rev. 3:20, NEB).

Let us never overlook the fact that Christ is standing at the

heart door of the people of this church, and He is knocking for

admission. In one sense this is not an experience unique to any

single individual, or to any particular period of the church's

history, or to any one segment of human history.

With every believer in Christ there has been the experience of

His knocking at the heart's door. At no time has He forced an

entrance. At all times He has been the pursuer of the lost rather

than the reverse. The Laodicean church in a unique way has this

problem of the human heart. Whereas others have kept Christ at

the door because of covetousness, riches, lust, or false doc-

trine, the Laodiceans keep Him at the door because they do not

feel their need of Him. Spiritually speaking they feel rich and

increased with goods and in need of nothing. This condition

blinds them to their true spiritual state, so that when the

heavenly Merchantman offers them the riches of eternity. the

spiritual equipment to be ready for His swiftly coming kingdom

and the hour of judgment, they feel no need.



THINK IT THROUGH



Can a person maintain his Laodicean condition of heart and

still consecrate himself to the Lord?

He who persists in maintaining his Laodicean condition will

keep the Lord standing at the door of his heart.

Do we perhaps weary of hearing the Laodicean message?

"Some may say, Why is this message sounded so constantly

in our ears? It is because you do not thoroughly repent. You do

not live in Christ and have Christ abiding in you. When one idol

is expelled from the soul, Satan has another prepared to supply

its place. Unless you make an entire consecration to Christ and

live in communion with Him, unless you make Him your Coun-

selor, you will find that your heart, open to evil thoughts, is

easily diverted from the sevice of God to the service of self."—

Selected Messages,

bk. 1, pp. 107, 108.



FURTHER STUDY



Christ's Object Lessons,

"Go Into the Highways and Hedges,"

pp. 235-237.

We Consecrate Ourselves

LESSON 10



❑

Tuesday

May 30

Part 3

KEEP YOUR

FIRST LOVE

Can one be truly consecrated to God if his love is any less

than once it was?

"I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love

you had at first" (Rev. 2:4, RSV).

The following verse clearly answers the question by indicat-

ing that those who have abandoned their first love "have fallen"

and need to "repent and do the works . . . [they] did at first"

(verse 5). It is impossible to have true consecration when there

has been a lessening of the love that once we had for our

Saviour. This manifested itself in that faith which works by love.

How is it in human relationships? Do you love your wife or

husband as once you did? Do you love your son or daughter

as once you did? Do you love father or mother or brother or

sister as once you did?

True, there may be a modification of the love, the maturing of

it. It may have elements of greater peace and quiet confidence in

it than originally. But is it less intense, less wholehearted? Is it

subtle to the point of being deceptive? Is it clever?



THINK IT THROUGH



What test might I apply to know whether or not I have lost

any measure of my first love for Christ?

"The atmosphere of the church is so frigid, its spirit is of such

an order, that men and women cannot sustain or endure the

example of primitive and heaven-born piety. The warmth of their

first love is frozen up, and unless they are watered over by the

baptism of the Holy Spirit, their candlestick will be removed out

of its place, except they repent and do their first works. The first

works of the church were seen when the believers sought out

friends, relatives, and acquaintances, and with hearts overflow-

ing with love told the story of what Jesus was to them and what

they were to

Jesus."—Testimonies to Ministers,

pp. 167, 168.

In what way is Solomon's experience an illustration of a loss

of first love?

"Did Solomon know God when he was doing according to the

ways of idolaters?—No; he had forgotten the rich experience of

his youth and the prayers he had made in the temple. [Rev. 2:4, 5

quoted.]

"The candlestick was removed out of its place when Solomon

forgot God. He lost the light of God, he lost the wisdom of God,

he confounded idolatry with religion."—Ellen G. White Com-

ments,

SDA Bible Commentary,

vol. 2, p. 1032.



FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pp. 279, 280.

We Consecrate Ourselves

LESSON 10



❑

Wednesday

May 31

Part 4



What characteristic does John see belonging to those who

"HE . . . DOES will stand for eternity?

GOD'S WILL"

"And that world is passing away with all its allurements, but

he who does God's will stands for evermore" (1 John 2:17,

NEB).

John has just been urging us not to set our hearts upon the

godless world. He has pointed out that anyone who loves the

world is a stranger to the Father's love. Everything the world

affords—all that panders to the appetites or entices the eyes, all

the glamour of its life—springs from the godless world. And

that

world is passing away. (See verses 15 and 16.)

We can only believe that under inspiration and in the experi-

ence of revelation, John has foreseen the disintegration of this

world and all that belongs to it as the godless world. By contrast

he sees those who do God's will standing eternally. We cannot

rejoice with the thought that the people of the godless world will

be destroyed with it, but we can rejoice that those who do God's

will will stand forever.



THINK IT THROUGH



Is there generally a relationship between consecration and

obedience?

"Moses defines genuine consecration as obedience to God,

to stand in vindication of the right and to show a readiness to

carry out the purpose of God in the most unpleasant duties,

showing that the claims of God are higher than the claims of

friends or the lives of the nearest relatives. The sons of Levi

consecrated themselves to God to execute His justice against

crime and

sin."—Testimonies,

vol. 3, p. 301.

We may wonder what was the setting for this definition of

consecration as obedience to God. It is an inspired commentary

upon the occasion when Israel, with Aaron's cooperation, made

a golden calf such as they had seen worshiped in Egypt and

caused the people to bow down to it and to inflame their senses

with rioting and drunkenness. It was on this occasion, as Moses

returned from the presence of the Lord, that he took a strong

and awful stand in the face of apostasy. (See Exodus 32.)

This is a side to consecration that we hear or see little of

today. We may console ourselves that we are not living under a

theocracy and therefore such stern steps as these cannot be

taken. Certainly the fact that the church today is living under

many different jurisdictions, different governments, different

philosophies of government, differing laws, has a bearing. But it

is a solemn question whether the church of Jesus Christ today,

through its leadership and ministry, through its institutional

directors, is prepared to equate obedience and consecration as

was done when Moses came down from the mount.



FURTHER STUDY



Testimonies,

vol. 3, pp. 300-304.

We Consecrate Ourselves

LESSON 10



❑

Thursday

June 1

Part 5

NOT A

SINNER

According to the apostle John, what is the relationship of a

consecrated man to the practice of sin?

"We know that no child of God is a sinner; it is the Son of God

who keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot touch him"

(1 John 5:18, NEB).

Almost any translation of this text carries the same message.

"The true child of God does not sin, he is in the charge of God's

own Son and the evil one cannot touch him" (Phillips).

There can be no compromise with sin on the part of him who

is consecrated to God. Sin and he are in opposite camps. Sin

belongs to the camp of the evil one, and righteousness belongs

to the camp of Jesus Christ. A man cannot be serving in both

camps. This is not to say that he will never falter, never fail, never

stumble; but it is clear whose side he is on, which direction he is

traveling, and for which cause he is fighting. When he falls, he

acknowledges it; he grieves that he has fallen; he confesses his

error, and he seeks restoration in the Lord; and he listens even

more carefully to his Commander. Sinning is the contradiction

of consecration. "No one who abides in him sins; no one who

sins has either seen him or known him" (1 John 3:6, RSV).

"It is through faith in Jesus Christ that the truth is accepted in

the heart and the human agent is purified and cleansed. Jesus

was 'wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our

iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and

with his stripes we are healed.' Is it possible to be healed, while

knowingly committing sin?—No; it is genuine faith that says, I

know that I have committed sin, but that Jesus has pardoned my

sin; and hereafter I will resist temptation in and through His

might."—Sons

and Daughters of God,

p. 297.



THINK IT THROUGH



Do the thoughts just presented mean that we have moved

back to righteousness by works?

"We do not earn salvation by our obedience; for salvation is

the free gift of God, to be received by faith. But obedience is the

fruit of faith. [1 John 3:5, 6 quoted.] Here is the true test. If we

abide in Christ, if the love of God dwells in us, our feelings, our

thoughts, our purposes, our actions, will be in harmony with the

will of God as expressed in the precepts of His holy law. . . .

"That so-called faith in Christ which professes to release men

from the obligation of obedience to God, is not faith, but

presumption."—Steps

to Christ,

p. 61.

Sinning is not the climate for consecration. The climate for

consecration is joyous, willing obedience to God's will.



FURTHER STUDY



Selected Messages,

bk. 1, pp. 352, 353.

We Consecrate Ourselves

LESSON 10



❑

Friday

June 2

Part 6



What is to be the privilege of those who obey God?

"DO HIS

COMMANDMENTS"



"Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they

may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the

gates into the city" (Rev. 22:14).

THINK IT THROUGH

Some of the ancient authorities read this text as "Blessed are

those who wash their robes." If one's robes are washed in the

blood of the Lamb, will not such a person keep the command-

ments? Or can a person truly keep the commandments apart

from the cleansing blood of Jesus?

"Obedience to all the commandments of God was the condi-

tion of eating of, the tree of life. Adam fell by disobedience,

forfeiting by sin all right to use either the life-giving fruit of the

tree in the midst of the Garden, or its leaves, which are for the

healing of the nations.

"Obedience through Jesus Christ gives to man perfection of

character and a right to that tree of life."—Ellen G. White Com-

ments,

SDA Bible Commentary, vol.

1, p. 1086.

It is one of the greatest tragedies of our time that some among

us are fearful of speaking of obedience anymore, lest the very

mention of obedience to the. commandments of God would

suggest legalism. How successful the devil has been in confus-

ing the signposts on the highway of eternal life! It may help us to

keep our thinking straight on this matter if we will remember

what the plan of salvation is designed to do. It, is designed to

bring the ultimate conquest and destruction of sin.

Sin is disobedience to the law of God. It is a placing of one's

own will above the will of God. The plan of salvation is designed

to restore man to that harmony with the will of God in which he

was first created. So who can do anything but rejoice when men

choose the commandments of God as the rule of their lives? If

they are unhappy in their obedience to God, perhaps they have

not washed their robes recently.

By what means may I be numbered with that innumerable

company that will stand before the throne and before the

Lamb clothed in white robes with palm branches in their

hands? (See Rev. 7:9, 13, 14.)

"All who are found worthy to be counted as the members of

the family of God in heaven, will recognize one another as sons

and daughters of God. They will realize that they all receive their

strength and pardon from the same source, even from Jesus

Christ who was crucified for their sins. They know that they are

to wash their robes of character in His blood, to find acceptance

with the Father in His name, if they would be in the bright

assembly of the saints, clothed in the white robes of

righteousness."—Selected

Messages,

bk. 1, p. 259.

FURTHER STUDY



Testimonies,

vol. 9, pp. 285-288.

"For this very reason make

every effort to supplement

your faith with virtue, and

virtue with knowledge, and

knowledge with self=control,

and self-control with stead-

fastness, and steadfastness

with godliness, and godliness

with brotherly affection, and

brotherly affection with love.

For if these things are yours

and abound, they keep you

from being ineffective or

unfruitful in the knowledge of

our Lord Jesus Christ"

(2 Peter 1:5-8, RSV).

LESSON 11 June 4-10

Fruit bearing is the key to survival in

the world of nature. It should not

seem strange, therefore, that in

spiritual matters the Lord would desire

His true children to be fruitful. The

apostle Peter really understood and

expressed this in his second letter as

he lists a group of characteristics or

qualities that remind us strongly of

Paul's listing of the fruit of the Spirit in

Galatians 5:22, 23.

Peter goes on to indicate that a lack

of these characteristics or qualities in

the believer would indicate that he has

become shortsightedly blind and has

forgotten that he was cleansed from

his old sins. He also indicates that

those who will have that zeal that

would be productive of such fruit

would confirm their call and election.

He points out that if they would

continue in this fruitfulness, they

would never fall, and an abundant

entrance would be provided for them

into the eternal kingdom. (See 2 Peter

1:9-11.)

Sometimes our attention is drawn to

a letter like Galatians or Romans, and

we are almost given the impression

that the only subject of significance

presented in that letter is the subject

of faith or grace. What we often seem

to overlook is that in almost every one

of the New Testament epistles, while

there may be invitations to faith and

acceptance of grace in the early part of

the letter, the second major portion of

the letter invariably deals with the kind

of life that should be the result or

fruitage of faith and grace. Sometimes

the inspired writer gets down to some

matters which some of us might think

of today as being highly personal,

highly regulatory, certainly bordering

on the dangerous edges of legalism.

But such matters are presented by the

inspired writers without any trace of

apology.

We must not fall into the trap of

separating in any way our faith from

our works, any more than we would

try to hide the fact that grapes grow on

grapevines. Just the opposite is the

scriptural teaching and experience.

Fruit bearing is the evidence of the

liveliness of the tree. If the tree bears

no fruit, it is under suspicion, under

investigation, and is perhaps given a

time limit in which to give evidence of

fruitfulness or perish. If a fruit tree is

healthy and old enough, it will be fruit

bearing. So we may order from the

nursery catalog trees of such an age

that they are known as fruit-bearing

trees. We can expect them within the

first or second season of placing them

in our orchard to bear fruit. If they do

not, we can usually make a claim

against the nurseryman who has sold

us the stock.

What if a home gardener were to

hang some borrowed or purchased

fruit on his tree and say, Look at that

beautiful fruit tree? It would not

require much discernment to see

whether or not the fruit was attached

to the tree as a vital and living part of it.

The Scriptures even present the

Lord as one who is looking for fruit on

the vines planted in His vineyard, as

though He had a right to expect fruit.

But the vine does not concern itself, in

one sense, with fruit bearing. It

concerns itself with finding adequate

water supply and searching out the

nutrients in the soil. It lifts up its

branches also so that its leaves will

receive the life-giving rays of the sun.

If it has these necessities, it will bear

fruit.

As we study together this week's

lesson, may there be an earnest prayer

and longing in our hearts for fruit

bearing to the glory of God.

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

"If You Have Love"

(John 13:35)

"That the World May Know"

(John 17:22, 23)

"I Am the Vine"

(John 15:5)

"My Father . . . the Gardener"

(John 15:2)

"Bear Much Fruit"

(John 15:8)

"Abide in Me"

(John 15:4, 7)

We Bear Fruit

LESSON 11



❑

Sunday

June 4

Part 1

"IF YOU

HAVE LOVE"

What is one of the clearest evidences that we are living

followers of the Lord Jesus Christ?

"By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you

have love for one another" (John 13:35 RSV).

It may be natural for love to exist within a family, brother for

brother, parent for child, husband for wife. It is not natural,

however, for the divergent personalities which make up the

church to be marked with mutual love and forbearance, each for

each and all for all. Individuals with different personalities and

backgrounds are drawn together and others are repelled.

Two of the clearest evidences to the world that we are Christ's

and that we are bearing fruit as a result of our life in Him will be

(1) the unity of the church and (2) the mutual love and respect of

all the varying members of that church.

If we are not convinced about the variables within the mem-

bership of the church, why not look at the twelve disciples of

Jesus Christ? How natural was it for them to love one another

and to give each other the place of honor? Do we recall the very

human reaction of the ten when the two asked for the two top

places of honor in the kingdom? (See Matt. 20:20-24.)



THINK IT THROUGH



Can I just decide to make myself love those who are not "my

type"? (See "Testimonies," vol. 7, p. 266.)

Note that loving one another is the evidence to the world that

we are Christ's disciples. We do not make ourselves love one

another, and then say, "Please notice us, this makes us disci-

ples of Christ." Because we are His disciples, we do love one

another, and this fact is an evidence to all men that we are

disciples of Christ.

"In this last meeting with His disciples, the great desire which

Christ expressed for them was that they might love one another

as He had loved them. Again and again He spoke of this.... His

very first injunction when alone with them in the upper chamber

was, 'A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one

another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.' To

the disciples this commandment was new; for they had not

loved one another as Christ had loved them. He saw that new

ideas and impulses must control them; that new principles must

be practiced by them; through His life and death they were to

receive a new conception of love. The command to love one

another had a new meaning in the light of His self-sacrifice. The

whole work of grace is one continual service of love, of self-

denying, self-sacrificing effort."—The

Desire of Ages,

pp. 677,

678.



FURTHER STUDY



Fundamentals of Christian Education,

p. 51;

The Ministry of

Healing,

pp. 161-165;

The Sanctified Life,

p. 82.

We Bear Fruit

LESSON 11



❑

Monday

June 5

Part 2

"THAT THE

WORLD

MAY KNOW"

What close parallel to love within the church is evidence to

the world of the effectiveness of Christ's mission?

"The glory which thou hast given me I have given to them,

that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and thou in

me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may

know that thou hast sent me and that thou hast loved them

even as thou hast loved me" (John 17:22, 23, RSV).

Love and unity are almost twin experiences. It would be ex-

tremely difficult to think of a situation where love could reign

and unity not result: or where unity exists without love being

present unless the unity were of the superficial variety for

mutual self-interest (like the unity between two former national

enemies who become allies in the face of a mutual foe).

Let us note that it is no ordinary unity that is here made an

evidence to the world of the effectiveness of Christ's mission.

The unity is of the caliber and character of the oneness between

Christ and His Father. One would hesitate to give expression to

such a thought were it not given us in Holy Scripture. But that is

indeed Christ's prayer (for this is part of His great intercessory

prayer) that His disciples should be one in the same way that

Christ and His Father are one—obviously we in our sphere, and

the members of the Godhead in their sphere.



THINK IT THROUGH



Does unity require conformity?

If by conformity we have in mind lack of conviction, surrender

of conscience, a fawning adulation of those in position, then—

No. On the other hand, how can a person who is automatically

against what someone else is for think that he is in any way a

part of the answer to Christ's prayer for His church?

"When men are bound together, not by force or self-interest,

but by love, they show the working of an influence that is above

every human influence. Where this oneness exists, it is evidence

that the image of God is being restored in humanity, that a new

principle of life has been implanted. It shows that there is power

in the divine nature to withstand the supernatural agencies of

evil, and that the grace of God subdues the selfishness inherent

in the natural heart."—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 678.

"We must study the truth for ourselves. No living man should

be relied upon to think for us. No matter who it is, or in what

position he may be placed, we are not to look upon any man as a

perfect criterion for us. We are to counsel together, and to be

subject to one another; but at the same time we are to exercise

the ability God has given us to learn what is truth."—Counsels

to Writers and Editors,

p. 45.



FURTHER STUDY



Steps to Christ,

"Rejoicing in the Lord," p. 115;

Selected

Messages,

bk. 1, p. 375.

We Bear Fruit

LESSON 11



❑

Tuesday

June 6

Part 3

"I AM THE

VINE"

What is the relationship between the fruitful follower and

the Lord Himself?

"I am the vine, you are the branches: He who abides in me,

and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit: for apart from me you

can do nothing" (John 15:5, RSV).

Perhaps in no other place in Scripture is the relationship

between Christ and His follower more clearly illustrated and

more fully expounded than in His illustration of the vine and the

branches. And if there is any one thing more than another that is

stressed in this illustration, it is that the branches should be

fruitful.

It was particularly significant that Christ would give this illus-

tration to His disciples on that night on which He was to be

betrayed. Within a very few hours He was to be taken from them

as they each fled in search of self-preservation. Yet He intended

that they were to be as close to Him as branches are to a vine.

"The connection of the branch with the vine, He said, repre-

sents the relation you are to sustain to Me. The scion is en-

grafted into the living vine, and fiber by fiber, vein by vein, it

grows into the vine stock. The life of the vine becomes the life of

the branch."—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 675.



THINK IT THROUGH



What is the major requirement of the branch if it is to be

fruitful?

"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of

itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye

abide in me" (John 15:4).

How does the principle of unity apply in the illustration of the

vine and the branches?

"The branches of the vine cannot blend into each other; they

are individually separate; yet every branch must be in fellowship

with every other if they are united in the same parent stock. They

all draw nourishment from the same source; they drink in the

same life-giving properties. So each branch of the True Vine is

separate and distinct, yet all are bound together in the parent

stock. There can be no division. They are all linked together by

His will to bear fruit wherever they can find place and opportun-

ity. But in order to do this, the worker must hide self. He must not

give expression to his own mind and will. He is to express the

mind and will of Christ."—Ellen G. White Comments,

SDA Bible

Commentary,

vol. 5, p. 1143.



FURTHER STUDY



Testimonies,

vol. 5, pp. 228-232.



We Bear Fruit



LESSON 11



❑

Wednesday

June 7



Part 4



What interest does the heavenly Father have in the fruitful-

"MY FATHER ness of the branches?



GARDENER'"



"I am the real vine, and my Father is the gardener. Every

barren branch of mine he cuts away; and every fruiting branch

he cleans, to make It more fruitful still" (John 15:1, 2, NEB).

It is significant that the heavenly Father is portrayed as the

Husbandman, or the Gardener. The gardener controls the vine.

The heavenly Father is concerned about the fruitfulness of the

individual branches of the True Vine. He supervises the grafting

of the branches into the parent stock. It is He who prunes the

branches (purges them) in order that they might become in-

creasingly fruitful.

Think of it, those of you who tend plants and trees—whether

for a livelihood or as a hobby—the heavenly Father watching

tenderly over His vine and overthe brancheS! With what care the

skillful horticulturist grafts buds into the parent stock! How

carefully he binds about the union to exclude undesirable ele-

ments (insects, bacteria), to shelter the new part of the plant

from undue stress that might destroy the union that is taking

place, as fiber by fiber and vein by vein the life of the vine

becomes the life of the branch. It is the heavenly Father who

takes this kind of care.

THINK IT THROUGH

FURTHER STUDY

What means does the Father use to prune the human

branches?

"From the chosen twelve who had followed Jesus, one as a

withered branch was about to be taken away; the rest were to

pass under the pruning knife of bitter trial. Jesus with solemn

tenderness explained the purpose of the husbandman. The

pruning will cause pain, but it is the Father who applies the

knife. He works with no wanton hand or indifferent heart. There

are branches trailing upon the ground; these must be cut loose

from the earthly supports to which their tendrils are fastening.

They are to reach heavenward, and find their support in

God."—The

Desire of Ages,

pp. 676, 677.

Compare church membership with fruitfulness.

"While the.graft is outwardly united with the vine, there may

be no vital connection. Then there will be no growth or fruitful-

ness. So there may be an apparent connection with Christ

without a real union with Him by faith. A profession of religion

places men in the church, but the character and conduct show

whether they are in connection with Christ. If they bear no fruit,

they are false branches. Their separation from Christ involves a

ruin as complete as that represented by the dead branch."—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 676.

The Acts of the Apostles,

pp. 284, 285;

Steps to Christ,

"Grow-

ing Up Into Christ," pp. 68-75.



We Bear Fruit



LESSON 11



❑

Thursday

June 8



Part 5



What is the one purpose of the vine in supporting its

"BEAR MUCH branches?

FRUIT"

"Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so

shall ye be my disciples" (John 15:8).

There is only one purpose in the fiery trial, the numbing

disappointment, the almost overwhelming sorrow, that you

have just endured. The gardener does not carelessly wield the

knife. He does not permit trial and tragedy to come to us indis-

criminately. Neither, on the other hand, is there any assurance

that we are automatically immune from the common tragedies

that may occur at random throughout the human race.

Jesus Himself came to this world to do His Father's will, to

bear fruits of righteousness in human flesh, to demonstrate the

character of God and the possibility of man. It is only natural

then that those who would constitute His branches would have

the same purpose, the same reason for existence.

"God desires to manifest through you the holiness, the be-

nevolence, the compassion, of His own character."—The

De-

sire of Ages,

p. 677.



THINK IT THROUGH



Is fruit bearing the result of our own striving?

"The Saviour does not bid the disciples labor to bear fruit. He

tells them to abide in Him. 'If ye abide in Me,' He says, 'and My

words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done

unto you.' It is through the word that Christ abides in His follow-

ers. This is the same vital union that is represented by eating His

flesh and drinking His blood. The words of Christ are spirit and

life. Receiving them, you receive the life of the Vine. You live 'by

every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.' Matt. 4:4.

The life of Christ in you produces the same fruits as in Him.

Living in Christ, adhering to Christ, supported by Christ, draw-

ing nourishment from Christ, you bear fruit after the similitude

of Christ."—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 677. (Emphasis supplied.)

What was Peter's summary of Christ's earthly life? Acts

10:38.

"It was not on the cross only that Christ sacrificed Himself for

humanity. As He 'went about doing good' (Acts 10:38), every

day's experience was an outpouring of His life. In one way only

could such a life be sustained. Jesus lived in dependence upon

God and communion with

Him."—Education,

p. 80.



FURTHER STUDY



Christ's Object Lessons,

"The Lord's Vineyard," p. 301;

Fun-

damentals of Christian Education,

p. 118.

We Bear Fruit

LESSON 11



❑

Friday

June 9

Part 6

"ABIDE IN ME"

How does Jesus abide in the believer?

"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of

itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye

abide in me."

"If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask

what ye will, and it shall be done unto you" (John 15:4, 7).

If by His word Jesus abides in us, then we abide in Him by faith

in what He says. Ellen G. White wrote, "This spiritual relation [of

abiding in Jesus] can be established only by the exercise of

personal faith. This faith must express on our part supreme

preference, perfect reliance, entire consecration. Our will must

be wholly yielded to the divine will, our feelings, desires, inter-

ests, and honor identified with the prosperity of Christ's king-

dom and the honor of His cause, we constantly receiving grace

from Him, and Christ accepting gratitude from us."—

Testimonies,

vol. 5, p. 229.

Faith determines the whole life! To have faith is to be wholly.

for Christ in every possible way.

What result does John attribute to faith? 1 John 5:4.

This is a faith that works by love and purifies the soul. It is an

active faith, a fruit-bearing faith. But it is a dependent faith—as

dependent as a branch upon the parent vine. (See

The Desire of

Ages,

p. 314.)



THINK IT THROUGH



What does it mean to abide in Christ and He in us?

"Abiding in Christ means a constant receiving of His Spirit, a

life of unreserved surrender to His service. The channel of

communication must be open continually between man and his

God. As the vine branch constantly draws the sap from the living

vine, so are we to cling to Jesus, and receive from Him by faith

the strength and perfection of His own character."—The

Desire

of Ages,

p. 676.

What are the characteristics of that faith which will give us

victory over the world?

"It

is not enough to believe

about

Christ; we must believe

Him. The only faith that will benefit us is that which embraces

Him as a personal Saviour; which appropriates His merits to

ourselves. Many hold faith as an opinion. But saving faith is a

transaction, by which those who receive Christ join themselves

in covenant relation with God. Genuine faith is life. A living faith

means an increase of vigor, a confiding trust, by which the soul

becomes a conquering power."—Gospel

Workers,

p. 261.



FURTHER STUDY



Counsels to Teachers,

p. 182;

Selected Messages,

bk. 1, pp.

335, 381.

LESSON 12 June 11-17

"According to his promise we wait

for new heavens and a new earth in

which righteousness dwells" (2 Peter

3:13, RSV).

The fulfillment of this text will bring

the final fulfillment of all the promises

of the Scriptures that pertain to our

salvation. When the new heavens and

the new earth in which righteousness

dwells shall have been established,

the great controversy between Christ

and Satan will have come to its

victorious end. Those who have

accepted all of the promises of God for

salvation will delight in this new home

where righteousness will dwell. It will

be "the home of justice" (NEB). Man

lost his first home in which

righteousness dwelt because of his

sin. When the plan of salvation has run

full circle, man will be restored to a

home of justice.

The apostle Peter has reminded us

earlier in his epistle that while men

count God's promises as slack or slow

of fulfillment, we must not deceive

ourselves into thinking that they will

never meet fulfillment. The

antediluvians were confident that the

earth would never be destroyed by

water, but nevertheless the clay came

when it happened. Just so certainly,

r says Peter, will the day come when

"the heavens will pass away with a

loud noise, and the elements will be

dissolved with fire, and the earth and

the works that are upon it will be

burned up" (verse 10, RSV). Many are

troubled by what seems an inordinate

delay in the fulfillment of these

promises. Perhaps in Peter's day some

were already becoming weary with

awaiting their fulfillment. But Peter

assures them that the day will come.

With the Lord time is not a problem,

for with Him, "one day is as a thousand

years, and a thousand years as one

day" (verse 8, RSV).

But while we view with regret the

seeming delay in Jesus' return, we

should remember the seriousness of

closing the door of mercy. God finds

no pleasure in the death of the wicked.

With Him it should be our desire, our

supreme desire, that all come to

repentance.

Of all people on the face of the

earth, Seventh-day Adventists should

be living witnesses to their

expectation of the coming of the Lord.

No other people at any time in earth's

history have had more light flooded

upon their way. Perhaps that is

because no people have needed more

in terms of what they have to meet in

the conflict with the enemy of all

souls.

Will we be at home in "the home of

justice" (2 Peter 3:13, NEB)? That will

depend upon our relationship to

justice and righteousness here and

now. But God has given us

unbelievably great promises that are

sufficient to transform our lives and to

make us righteous by faith in Jesus, so

that in Him we can be and will be at

home in a world in which

righteousness dwells continually and

perfectly.

We have really been studying many

of the great promises in the lessons

already covered this quarter, but this

week let us begin to summarize and in

a special way appropriate to ourselves

the reality of God's promises.

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

"Exceeding Great . . . Promises"

(2 Peter 1:3, 4)

"No Wise Cast Out"

(John 6:37)

"Help My Unbelief"

(Mark 9:24)

"The Father . . . Loves You"

(John 16:27)

"I Have Overcome"

(John 16:33)

"We Have an Advocate"

(1 John 2:1)



We Have Great



Promises

LESSON 12



❑

Sunday

June 11



Part 1



What is Peter's description of God's promises?

"EXCEEDING



GREAT . . .



"According as his divine power hath given unto us all things

PROMISES" that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of

him that hath called us to glory and virtue: whereby are given

unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these

ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped

the corruption that is in the world through lust" (2 Peter 1:3, 4).

It is as though Peter reached out for words that are not in

language in his effort to ascribe sufficient greatness and pre-

ciousness to the promises of God. How great is "exceeding

great"? And how precious is "exceeding ... precious"? There is

no top limit to the measure of these promises. They are available

"through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus

Christ" (verse 1). They are ours only because of "his divine

power" (verse 3). Then comes the incredible assurance that

through the acceptance, the claiming of these unbelievably

great promises, we actually become "partakers of the divine

nature."

Now we need to remind ourselves constantly that, in the

person of His Son Jesus Christ, God came down and took upon

Him our human nature with its risks, its weaknesses, its

liabilities. And that is incomprehensible enough! But for the

Lord to indicate that we poor sinners can, by His grace, receive

His great promises and in receiving them become partakers of

the divine nature—that is almost too much for our feeble human

comprehension and vision to grasp.

THINK IT THROUGH

What condition must be met by those who would partake of

the divine nature in connection with the acceptance of God's

great promises?

"Let every one who desires to be a partaker of the divine

nature appreciate the fact that he must escape the corruption

that is in the world through lust. There must be a constant,

earnest struggling of the soul against the evil imaginings of the

mind. There must be a steadfast resistance of temptation to sin

in thought or act.... We should meditate upon the mission of

Him who came to save His people from their sins. By constantly

contemplating heavenly themes, our faith and love will grow

stronger. Our prayers will be more and more acceptable to God,

because they will be more and more mixed with faith and love.

They will be more intelligent and fervent. There will be mote

constant confidence in Jesus, and you will have a daily, living

experience in the willingness and power of Christ to save unto

the uttermost all that come unto God by Him."—Ellen G. White

Comments,

SDA Bible Commentary,

vol. 3, p. 1145.

FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pp. 123, 671, 675.

We Have Great Promises

LESSON 12



❑

Monday

June 12

Part 2

"NO WISE

CAST OUT"

THINK IT THROUGH

Is there any reason for us to question Christ's willingness to

receive us?

"All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that

cometh to me I will in no wise cast out" (John 6:37).

This is a pure and unadorned promise of God. It has no

conditions, no qualifications other than an attitude on our part

of believing what He says. He invites us to come. We believe that

He means what He says. We come. As we come, we are assured

that we will not be cast out. He will never turn us away. Does it

not remind us of the other illustration where Christ is knocking

at the heart's door, and gives assurance that, if any will hear His

voice and open the door, He will come in? That is the mirror

image of the promise we have before us today.

What inherited and cultivated tendencies toward evil make

it seem difficult for me to come to Jesus? Should these pre-

vent my acceptance of the "exceeding great and precious

promises"?

"It is faith that connects us with heaven, and brings us

strength for coping with the powers of darkness. In Christ, God

has provided means for subduing every sinful trait, and resist-

ing every temptation, however strong. But many feel that they

lack faith, and therefore they remain away from Christ. Let these

souls, in their helpless unworthiness, cast themselves upon the

mercy of their compassionate Saviour. Look not to self, but to

Christ. He who healed the sick and cast out demons when He

walked among men is the same mighty Redeemer today. Faith

comes by the word of God. Then grasp His promise, 'Him that

cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.'

"—The Desire of Ages,

p. 429.

Should I try to improve before I come fully to the Lord? (See

Luke 15:18.)

"Do not listen to the enemy's suggestion to stay away from

Christ until you have made yourself better; until you are good

enough to come to God. If you wait until then, you will never

come. When Satan points to your filthy garments, repeat the

promise of Jesus, 'Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast

out.'

"—Christ's Object Lessons,

pp. 205, 206.

"Let none look to self, as though they had power to save

themselves. Jesus died for us because we were helpless to do

this. In Him is our hope, our justification, our righteousness.

When we see our sinfulness we should not despond and fear

that we have no Saviour, or that He has no thoughts of mercy

toward us. At this very time He is inviting us to come to Him in

our helplessness and be

saved."—Patriarchs and Prophets,

p.431.

FURTHER STUDY



Christ's Object Lessons,

"Lost and Is Found," pp. 202-206.

We Have Great Promises

LESSON 12



❑

Tuesday

June 13

Part 3

"HELP MY

UNBELIEF"

"Immediately the father of the child cried out, and said 'I

believe; help my unbelief!' " (Mark 9:24, RSV).

If I tell the Lord my problem with unbelief and solicit His

help, will He accept me on such a feeble approach?

It may be difficult to see one of God's exceeding great and

precious promises in this rather negative declaration of faith,

and some who consider themselves strong in faith may be ready

to despise this poor father who confessed to the Saviour his

terrible weakness of unbelief.

We can discover in this father's plea, and in God's response to

it, one of the most exceeding great and precious promises of all,

especially to those who feel themselves exceedingly weak in

faith, those who feel overwhelmed by doubt and unbelief.

The Lord Jesus Christ responded to this pitiful heart cry from

the father whose son was possessed of a "dumb spirit." (See

verse 17.) He rebuked the evil spirit so that it came out of the boy

and left him in normal health and strength.



THINK IT THROUGH



How does the spirit of prophecy turn this declaration of

unbelief into an exceeding great and precious promise?

"Cast yourself at His feet with the cry, 'Lord, I believe; help

Thou

mine unbelief.' You can never perish while you do this—

never."—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 429.

Spend whatever time may be necessary to let feeble faith

grasp this glorious assurance. No one need wait for faith. Even

asking the Lord to help and relieve our lack of faith will bring a

quick connection with Heaven and strength for coping with the

powers of darkness. It is our need that argues with Heaven with

undeniable eloquence—nothing else.

What could have cost the life of the demon-possessed son?

Suppose that the father had persisted with the attitude, "If

thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us."

Would Jesus have healed his son? (See Mark 9:22, 23.)

"There is no lack of power on the part of Christ; the healing of

the son depends upon the father's faith. With a burst of tears,

realizing his own weakness, the father casts himself upon

Christ's mercy, with the cry, 'Lord, I believe; help Thou mine

unbelief.'

"—The Desire of Ages,

p. 428.



FURTHER STUDY



Fundamentals of Christian Education,

pp. 341, 342;

Prophets

and Kings,

p. 157.

100

We Have Great Promises

LESSON 12



❑

Wednesday

June 14

Part 4

"THE FATHER

. . . LOVES YOU"

THINK IT THROUGH

How does the heavenly Father Himself feel about people?

"The Father himself loves you, because you have loved me

and have believed that I came from the Father" (John 16:27,

RSV).

We have made reference to this point earlier in the quarter.

Too many of us still think of the Father as one to be feared and of

Christ as one to be loved. Jesus spoke the above text to His

disciples in an attempt to comfort them and to prepare them for

the tragedies of Gethsemane and Calvary. Do you believe, my

brother, my sister, that the Father loves

you?

that the

Father

loves you? that the Father

loves

you? Emphasize the words as

we will, this is an assurance to our faith.

Some may say that the Father loves only those who love Christ

and who believe that He came from God. But that is not the

emphasis here. Christ is about to leave His disciples. He is

seeking to direct their faith and trust to the Father—through the

name of the Son, it is true, but still to the Father. They need to

believe and understand before Jesus leaves them that they can

approach the Father, for the Father Himself loves them.

It is like

shalom, shalom.

You've got to believe it. It is true that

the Father can do for those who respond to the love of His Son,

the Sent of God, what He cannot do for those who turn away in

unbelief, even though He lovesthem also. He made and sustains

us all and causes His sun to shine on the wicked as well as upon

the righteous. God has no prejudices and no favorites, but there

is no way for Him to take into His kingdom of righteous-

ness those who do not trust themselves to Him.

Do we need one more and greater assurance of God's love

for us? (See John 3:16.)

" 'And the counsel of peace shall be between Them both.' The

love of the Father, no less than of the Son, is the fountain of

salvation for the lost race. Said Jesus to His disciples before He

went away: 'I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you:

for the Father Himself loveth you.' John 16:26, 27. God was 'in

Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself.' 2 Corinthians 5:19.

And in the ministration in the sanctuary above, 'the counsel of

peace shall be between Them both.' God

so loved

the world,

that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in

Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.'

"—The Great

Controversy,

pp. 416, 417.

FURTHER STUDY



Testimonies,

vol. 8, p. 178;

Steps to Christ,

"The Test of

Discipleship," p. 64.

101

We Have Great Promises

LESSON 12



❑

Thursday

June 15



Part 5



"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might



"I HAVE



have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of

OVERCOME" good cheer; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).

It is beautiful to read this text in various translations, but they

all concur in the fact that Christ has overcome or conquered the

world. He gives that as the reason why we should be of good

cheer, even though we shall have tribulation in the world, and as

the reason why in the midst of tribulation we may have His

peace—peace in Him.

How does this text become one of the exceeding great and

precious promises whereby we may partake of the divine

nature?

To the extent that He is our victory, He is our conquest of evil.

He is our Master over temptation. He is our sanctification, our

complete holiness. He is our redemption, righteousness, and

wisdom. All of these things He is for us; and because He is these

for us, they are counted to us; they are ours.

What chance have we to be overcomers? In ourselves, none.

In and of ourselves we are like those who are without God and

without hope in the world. But Christ is our victory. Be of good

cheer, He has overcome the world. It is not a question of

whether one of us might yet make it. He has made it; He is our

victory. Do we remember that: "Wonderful—almost too won-

derful for man to comprehend—is the Saviour's sacrifice in our

behalf, shadowed forth in all the sacrifices of the past, in all the

services of the typical sanctuary. And this sacrifice was called

for. When we realize that His suffering was necessary in order to

secure our eternal well-being, our hearts are touched and

melted. He pledged Himself to accomplish our full salvation in a

way satisfactory to the demands of God's justice, and consis-

tent with the exalted holiness of His

law."—Selected Messages,

bk. 1, p. 309.



THINK IT THROUGH



Is some nagging weakness still robbing you of His victory?

"In our own strength it is impossible for us to deny the clamors of

our fallen nature. Through this channel Satan will bring temptation

upon us. Christ knew that the enemy would come to every human

being, to take advantage of hereditary weakness, and by his false

insinuations to ensnare all whose trust is not in God. And by passing

over the ground which man must travel, our Lord has prepared the

way for usto overcome. It is not Hiswill that we should be placed at a

disadvantage in the conflict with Satan. He would not have us intimi-

dated and discouraged by the assaults of the serpent. 'Be of good

cheer,' He says: 'I have overcome the world.' John 16:33."—The

Desire of Ages,

pp. 122, 123.



FURTHER STUDY



Gospel Workers,

pp. 38, 39;

Testimonies,

vol. 3, p. 115.

102

We Have Great Promises

LESSON 12



❑

Friday

•

June 16

Part 6



We have been listing this week some of the exceeding great

"WE HAVE AN

and precious promises. By these we may be partakers of the

ADVOCATE"

divine nature. There is no reason for us not to have a life of

victory over temptation and therefore over sin. But God in His

great mercy is fully aware of the weakness of the flesh. He

knows of the persistent desire of the old man of sin to rise from

the grave and be allowed at least a little more time of existence.

Just a little time, and just a feeble existence—anything but

permanent death.

What merciful provision has God made for those who have

set their feet on the path to the kindgom to be overcomers?

"My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin

not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father,

Jesus Christ the righteous" (1 John 2:1).

THINK IT THROUGH

This exceeding great and precious promise is not written to

unbelievers. It is written to "my little children" or "my children."

It is a term of affection' from the aged apostle John to the

believers in the early church of Jesus Christ. He, too, has re-

corded in this very same letter repeated assurances and evi-

dences that God has made provision for us to overcome sin.

(See 1 John 1:7, for example.) He has written these things to

help them and us to avoid sin. There is no excuse or reason for

sin; but if, having said all of that, we fall into sin, the merciful

God has provided us an Advocate, "Jesus Christ the righteous."

How complete is the provision that my heavenly Father has

delivered me from the power of darkness and accepted me

into the kingdom of His dear Son?

Jesus, our Advocate, takes our place in every needful way.

"The religious services, the prayers, the praise, the penitent

confession of sin ascend from true believers as incense to the

heavenly sanctuary; but passing through the corrupt channels

of humanity, they are so defiled that unless purified by blood,

they can never be of value with God. They ascend not in spotless

purity, and unless the Intercessor who is at God's right hand

presents and purifies all by His righteousness, it is not accepta-

ble to God. All incense from earthly tabernacles must be moist

with the cleansing drops of the blood of Christ. He holds before

the Father the censer of His own merits, in which there is no

taint of earthly corruption. He gathers into this censer the

prayers, the praise, and the confessions of His people, and with

these He puts His own spotless righteousness. Then, perfumed

with the merits of Christ's propitiation, the incense comes up

before God wholly and entirely acceptable. Then gracious

answers are returned."—Ellen G. White Comments,

SDA Bible

Commentary,

vol. 6, p. 1078.

FURTHER STUDY



Prophets and Kings,

pp. 586-589.



103

LESSON 13 June 18-24

Here God's plan to save sinful men

is made simple, clear, and appealing to

our reason.

Every one of us knows that he

cannot, in, himself, live a life in

harmony with the law of God. What

was originally a law of life to us

became, through the disobedience of

our first parents and our own

disobedience, the law of sin and

death. Heaven has made provision

that the law of the Spirit of life in Christ

Jesus will set us free from the law of sin

and death. Jesus Christ came "in the

likeness of sinful flesh" and

condemned sin in the flesh. He did

this by living a righteous life through

constant dependence upon His Father

and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Now, the righteousness of the law can

be fulfilled in us as it was in Him.

The requirement on our part is that

we walk not after the flesh but after the

Spirit. He continues to show us that it

is simply contrary to our nature for us

to be at peace with God or to be in

harmony with His law. Thus we cannot

please God in our own nature and in

our own strength. But please notice

that the purpose for which God sent

His Son in the likeness of sinful flesh

was "that the righteousness of the law

might be fulfilled in us." (See Romans

8:1-9.) At first glance that may seem

contrary to the title of this lesson,

"We Are Righteous by Faith." On the

contrary, the title declares the only

possible way by which man can be

righteous. "Because the carnal mind is

enmity against God: for it is not

subject to the law of God, neither

indeed can be" (verse 7). It is as plain

and simple as that. We cannot obey

God's righteous law. We cannot live

righteously. And it is not a question of

trying a little harder, praying a little

longer, reading the Bible more fre-

quently. What, then, is the solution?

The only solution is that which

Heaven has already provided by

sending Jesus, the eternal Son of God,

in human form and flesh, with the

decision announced before He came,

"Lo, I come to do thy will, 0 God"

(Heb. 10:9). In this flesh He dwelt as

the God-man, living in perfect

harmony with His Father's will 'in all

things. After some 33 years He

suffered and died;as the be

arer of the

sins of the whole world. Because He

bore our sins, He became the first one

in all eternity to partake of that

dreadful cup of separation from His

Father. The burden of that separation

broke His heart as He gave up. His life

on the cross. Divine power was

rightfully His as God, because He had

not sinned as man. So death could not

hold Him in its grasp. He arose victor

over death and the grave and

ascended to His Father to become our

Intercessor, our Mediator, our High

Priest. When He has ceased His work

of mediation and all decisions have

been made for eternal life or for

eternal death, He will come for His

own. They will never be separated

from Him again, never shut away from

communion with Him because of

disobedience.

He who accepts this provision which.

God has made in Jesus Christ

recognizes that in this alone is there

the possibility of his being counted

righteous and made righteous—here

is the means to be righteous by faith.

As we have said earlier this quarter,

faith is not our savior. Faith does not

earn salvation. It is the simple matter

that if we do not believe we will not be

expecting anything from God and He

will force nothing upon us.

As we move into our study this

week, let us remember the cry of the

father of the lad possessed with a

dumb spirit: "Lord I believe, help thou

mine unbelief." And let us remember

also the inspired assurance, "You can

never perish while you do

this—never."—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 429.

"For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through

the flesh, God sending his

wn Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the

ghtousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the

pirit" (Rom. 8:3, 4).

AllY HIGHLIGHTS-

Filthy Rags!'

''Citiifrifed Righteous

(Gen. 15:6)

Righteousness and Law

(Ps019:142)

..f'Except Your

Righteousness",

'(Matt. 5:20)

f'Righteousn'ess .

(Rom.5:30).

Doing

Right

(1 John 3:7)

We Are Righteous by Faith

LESSON 13



❑

Sunday

June 18



Part 1



How does the prophet Isaiah classify human righteous-

"AS FILTHY RAGS" nesses?

"But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteous-

nesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our

iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away" (Isa. 64:6).

Isaiah was writing of the sinfulness of Judah. (See verses

9-12.) But the condition of Judah is the condition of all human-

ity. In the frankness of the Hebrew approach to life, this is

Heaven's estimate of our righteousnesses.

"Unclean thing.

Heb.

tame' ,

an adjective meaning 'unclean.'

Standing by itself, as here, it may refer either to an unclean thing

or to an 'unclean person.'

Tame'

is the word that appears re-

peatedly throughout Leviticus describing ceremonial unclean-

ness. Left to himself, man cannot wash away the impurity of

sin—he remains unclean.

"Filthy rags.

Literally, 'as a menstruous garment.' Man's best

efforts produce, not righteousness, but imperfection."—SDA

Bible Commentary,

vol. 4, p. 327.



THINK IT THROUGH



If this is Heaven's estimate of our righteousnesses, how do

our unrighteousnesses look?

After quoting Isaiah 64:6, Psalm 51:10, and Ezekiel 36:26, 27,

God's servant writes: "Nicodemus had read these scriptures

with a clouded mind; but he now [in the presence of Jesus]

began to comprehend their meaning. He saw that the most rigid

obedience to the mere letter of the law as applied to the outward

life could entitle no man to enter the kingdom of heaven. In the

estimation of men, his life had been just and honorable; but in

the presence of Christ, he felt that his heart was unclean, and his

life unholy."—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 174.

"Everything that we of ourselves can do is defiled by sin.. ..

When we submit ourselves to Christ, the heart is united with His

heart, the will is merged in His will, the mind becomes one with

His mind, the thoughts are brought into captivity to Him; we live

His life. This is what it means to be clothed with the garments of

His righteousness. Then as the Lord looks upon us He sees, not

the fig-leaf garment, not the nakedness and deformity of sin, but

His own robe of righteousness, which is perfect obedience to

the law of

Jehovah."—Christ's Object Lessons,

pp. 311, 312.

What was the reason for the condemnation of the man who

entered the feast without a wedding garment? (See Matt.

22:11-14.)



FURTHER STUDY



Testimonies, vol.

2, pp. 177-179.

106

We Are Righteous By Faith

LESSON 13



❑

Monday

June 19



Part 2



What is the earliest biblical reference to righteousness by

COUNTED faith, or being counted righteous?

RIGHTEOUS

"And he [Abram] believed in the Lord; and he counted it to

him for righteousness" (Gen. 15:6).

Some may be surprised that this text is in the Old Testament.

We are aware of the use which the apostle Paul made of it in

Romans 4:3 and Galatians 3:6 for example. But we often fail to

recognize how much of the New Testament is drawn from and

built upon the Old. Notice that our text does not say that Ab-

ram's belief in the Lord

made

him righteous, but his belief in the

Lord

was counted

to him for righteousness. This is the basic

biblical concept of justification by faith, the term for having

righteousness counted to us—someone else's righteousness.

"Abram was a sinner and needed redemption, as does every

other human being; but when righteousness was imputed to

him, mercy and grace were also extended, effecting the pardon

of his sin and bringing the rewards of righteousness. Here for

the first time the full importance of faith is brought to view. Here

also, for the first time, imputed righteousness is mentioned.

From this point onward both fundamental concepts run

through the Holy Scriptures, to find exhaustive and masterful

treatment by the pen of the apostle Paul (see Rom.

4)."—SDA

Bible Commentary, vol.

1, p. 312.



THINK IT THROUGH



What is the relationship between faith and actions?

"Thus they [the Israelites] provoked Him [the Lord] to anger

with their inventions: and the plague brake in upon them. Then

stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment: and so the plague

was stayed. And that was counted unto him for righteousness

unto all generations for evermore" (Ps. 106:29-31).

You will recall that on a number of occasions the New Testa-

ment points to the actions of Abraham as the evidence of his

faith, which faith laid hold of the righteousness of God so that

Abraham was counted righteous. It seems important to stress

this matter, because some may feel that

be righteous by faith

is unrelated to daily life. On the other hand, the Scriptures on

numerous occasions state that action is the evidence of faith, as

though it were the basis for the imputed (or counted) righteous-

ness. (See

Patriarchs and Prophets,

pp. 453, 456.)

The experience from the history of Israel referred to by the

apostle Paul "and as recorded in the one hundred fifth and one

hundred sixth psalms, contains lessons of warning that the

people of God in these last days especially need to study. I urge

that these chapters be read at least once every week."—

Testimonies to Ministers,

pp: 98, 99.



FURTHER STUDY



Testimonies to Ministers,

pp.

98-104.

107

We Are Righteous By Faith

LESSON 13



❑

Tuesday

June 20

Part 3

RIGHTEOUSNESS

AND LAW

How does law fit in to righteousness by faith?

Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy

law is the truth" (Ps. 119:142).

In a typical Hebrew parallelism righteousness and law are

made synonymous. The same truth is repeated using different

but similar terms. And when one thinks about it, it is inevitable

that righteousness and law would be synonymous, because the

law of God defines righteousness. It expresses it. It explains it. It

shows the limits and size of it. Until righteousness is described,

it is an empty word. When God made it into a law form that

governs human relationships with man and with God, it became

something tangible, something that touched life and reality. So

it is really impossible to have righteousness by faith divorced

from law.



THINK IT THROUGH



How can we relate righteousness, law, and salvation?

Salvation is not an abstraction. Salvation is salvation from sin.

Sin is without specific definition where there is no law. By the

law is the knowledge of sin. Sin is the transgression of the law

and the plan of salvation provides the means for victory over sin

and its consequences and its power.

"The law of God, from its very nature, is unchangeable. It is a

revelation of the will and the character of its Author. God is love,

and His law is love. Its two great principles are love to God and

love to man. 'Love is the fulfilling of the law.' Romans 13:10. The

character of God is righteousness and truth; such is the nature

of His law. Says the psalmist: 'Thy law is the truth;' all Thy

commandments are righteousness.' Psalm 119:142, 172. And

the apostle Paul declares: 'The law is holy, and the command-

ment holy, and just, and good.' Romans 7:12. Such a law, being

an expression of the mind and will of God, must be as enduring

as its Author."—The

Great Controversy,

p. 467.

How should we define the righteousness which is accepta-

ble with God?

"The righteousness which Christ taught is conformity of

heart and life to the revealed will of God. Sinful men can become

righteous only as they have faith in God and maintain a vital

connection with Him. Then true godliness will elevate the

thoughts and ennoble the life."—The

Desire of Ages, p.

310.



FURTHER STUDY



The Great Controversy,

pp. 468, 469.

108

We Are Righteous By Faith

LESSON 13



❑

Wednesday

June 21



Part 4



What false type of righteousness was in evidence in Christ's

"EXCEPT YOUR day?

RIGHTEOUSNESS"

"For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall

exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye

shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5:20).

This is a serious indictment coming from the Lord of glory. He

was speaking about men in His day, religious leaders of the

chosen people. Immediately we should ask ourselves: What

kind of righteousness had they?

"The righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees consisted in

external adherence to the letter of the law; Christ called for

insight into, and cooperation with, the underlying principles of

the law.... They taught that a man is to be judged by a majority

of his deeds; that is, if his 'good' deeds are in excess of-his evil

deeds, God will adjudge him righteous."—SDA

Bible Commen-

tary,

vol. 5, p. 333.



THINK IT THROUGH



What are the warnings for us in the righteousness claimed

by the scribes and Pharisees?

"The greatest deception of the humari mind in Christ's day

was that a mere assent to the truth constitutes righteousness.

. A jealous regard for what is termed theological truth often

accompanies a hatred of genuine truth as made manifest in life.

The darkest chapters of history are burdened with the record of

crimes committed by bigoted religionists. The Pharisees

claimed to be children of Abraham, and boasted of their pos-

session of the oracles of God: yet these advantages did not

preserve them from selfishness, malignity, greed for gain, and

the basest hypocrisy. They thought themselves the greatest

religionists of the world, but their so-called orthodoxy led them

to crucify the Lord of glory.

"The same danger still exists. Many take it for granted that

they are Christians, simply because they subscribe to certain

theological tenets. But they have not brought the truth into

practical life. They have not believed and loved it, therefore they

have not received the power and grace that come through

sanctification of the truth. Men may profess faith in the truth;

but if it does not make them sincere, kind, patient, forbearing,

heavenly-minded, it is a curse to its possessors, and through

their influence it is a curse to the world."—The

Desire of Ages,

pp. 309, 310.

"The only true faith is that which 'worketh by love' (Galatians

5:6) to purify the soul. It is as leaven that transforms the

character."—Thoughts

From the Mount of Blessing,

p. 53.



FURTHER STUDY



Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing,

"The Spirituality of the

Law," (Matthew 5:20), pp. 53-55.

109

We Are Righteous By Faith

LESSON 13



❑

Thursday

June 22



Part 5



In contrast to Israel as a whole, what had Gentiles found

"RIGHTEOUSNESS with respect to salvation?

. . OF FAITH"

"What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed

not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even

the righteousness which is of faith" (Rom. 9:30).

We said at the outset of the lesson for this week that there is

no other way for a human being to be righteous than to be

righteous by faith. Paul is emphasizing that point here in his

epistle to the Romans when he speaks of Israel, which followed

after the law of righteousness but failed to attain to that law. He

raises the question as to why they failed and gives the answer,

"Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works

of the law" (verse 32). So Israel's general failure to achieve to

the very righteousness which she professed, and which she

sought, is due to the fact that she sought it by works, her own

works, rather than by faith in Christ Jesus, the only truly and

perfectly obedient Man.

As we have been studying the simple steps in coming to

Christ for salvation this quarter, how shall we assess our own

righteousness? Where do we stand with regard to righteous-

ness?

"By the wedding garment in the parable [see Matt. 22:1-14] is

represented the pure, spotless character which Christ's true

followers will possess. To the church it is given 'that she should

be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white,' not having spot, or

wrinkle, or any such thing.' The fine linen, says the Scripture, 'is

the righteousness of saints.' Rev. 19:8; Eph. 5:27. It is the righ-

teousness of Christ, His own unblemished character, that

through faith is imparted to all who receive Him as their per-

sonal Saviour."—Christ's

Object Lessons,

p. 310.



THINK IT THROUGH



Have you ever earnestly and prayerfully said to yourself,

"Christ is

righteousness"?

It may take continual repetition of that statement and prayer

and study regarding it, before the human heart can find the

humility to say "That is true. I know that it is true. Christ

righteousness." This is the experience to which each must

come in order to be counted righteous by faith.

God and His Son Jesus Christ, by the Holy Spirit, have told us

that we can only be righteous by faith. Do we believe it? Do we

accept it? Do we claim it? "Christ is my righteousness."

The sweetest joy ever known will flood the soul that believes

and claims this offer of the righteousness of Jesus Christ by

faith.



FURTHER STUDY



Selected Messages,

bk. 1, pp. 350, 351.

110

We Are Righteous By Faith

LESSON 13



❑

Friday

June 23

Part 6



According to the apostle John, what is it that shows a man to

DOING RIGHT be righteous?

"Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righ-

teousness is righteous, even as he is righteous" (1 John 3:7).

That is what righteousness is. It is right doing. This is not to

say we do right in our own strength or by our own unaided will or

in our own human nature just as it is.

"Many are losing the right way, in consequence of thinking

that they must climb to heaven, that they must do something to

merit the favor of God. They seek to make themselves better by

their own unaided efforts. This they can never accomplish.

Christ has made the way by dying our sacrifice, by living our

example, by becoming our great high priest. He declares, 'I am

the way, the truth, and the life' (John 14:6). If by any effort of our

own we could advance one step toward the ladder, the words of

Christ would not be true. But when we accept Christ, good

works will appear as fruitful evidence that we are in the way of

life, that Christ is our way, and that we are treading the true path

that leads to

heaven."—Selected Messages,

bk. 1, p. 368.

May we close this quarter's lessons as we opened them—in

gratitude for the simplicity of the instruction which God has

given whereby we may know how to come to Christ. While many

are asking where Jesus is and how they may find Him, He stands

knocking, knocking at the heart's door. Why not let us say with

Ellen White as we go to open the door of our heart, "Come in,

dear Lord."

If she was so thankful for the simplicity of the instruction

given as to how to find Him, perhaps we should be simple

enough in our faith to find Him on the same terms. Then, when

He enters, He comes not to find but to make "this troubled

room" a dwelling worthy of Himself. When the branch is grafted

into the True Vine, Jesus undertakes to make it fruitful. The

divine nature is imparted to us, of which we partake. As the fruit

of the Spirit is produced, and the Father does the pruning, we

come to reflect the likeness of our dear Saviour more and more

perfectly. But all the time, the nearer we come to Him the more

faulty we see ourselves to be and the more utterly we trust in His

righteousness, which is counted to us for righteousness. So let

us look unto Jesus, "the author and finisher of our faith" (Heb.

12:2).

111

•

Sabbath School members who have not received a copy of the Adult Lessons for the

third quarter of 1978 will be helped by the following outline in studying the first two.

lessons. Title of the series is "Education for Eternity."

First Lesson

The School in a Garden. Memory text, Gen. 2:8.

The Environment (Gen. 2:8)

The Teacher (Gen. 2:19; 3:8)

The Subject Matter (Gen. 2:19, 20)

Social Development (Gen. 2:18-22)

Character Development (Gen. 2:9, 16, 17)

Productive Activity (Gen. 2:15)

Second Lesson

The Family—An Educational Center. Memory text, Gen. 18:19.

Abraham and Isaac (Gen. 12:8)

Jacob and Joseph (Gen. 37:2-4)

Jochebed and Moses (Heb. 11:23-27)

Hannah and Samuel (1 Sam. 1:27, 28)

Daniel's Home (Dan. 1:3, 4, 8)

Mary and Elisabeth (Luke 2:39-41, 52)

Lessons in 3raille

The regular Adult Sabbath School Lessons are available free each month in

Braille and 16

rpm records to blind and physically handicapped persons

who cannot read normal inkprint. This includes individuals who because of

arthritis, multiple sclerosis, paralysis, accidents, old age, and so forth,

cannot hold or focus on normal inkprint publications. Contact the Christian

Record Braille Foundation, Box 6097, Lincoln, Nebraska 68506.

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1ENh

Five loaves and two fish.

Just enough to feed one

hungry child. But Jesus

asked for it and the little

boy gave it gladly.

Suddenly he was part of a

miracle as thousands

marveled at the way the

Master multiplied his gift

to feed them all.

God is still multiplying gifts

today. This Sabbath, when

the Sabbath School offering

is taken, give God

something to work with.

When your offering is given

gladly, you too can

become part of a miracle!

Open Heart

Let God's love show through your giving.

SONGA

HOSPITAL

LUDUMBASHI

UNION

OFFICE

Church



S.&

Unions



Populstion Churches limb.



filemb.

Central African



7,560,500



573 106,617 215,072

South African



7,665,653



156 15,614 16,591

South-East Africa 4,916,020



169 37,531 65,297

Southern



19,800,000 182 14,506 55,573

Zaire



23,941,934 244 45,004 98,577

Zambesi



7,044,979 256 44,056 73,615

Zambia



4,000,000 164 27,665 102,751

Division Totals 75,169,286 1,784 291,273 653,476

Figura as 40 Decerntor, 1174

•